Current:Home > BackFDA changes Plan B label to clarify 'morning-after' pill doesn't cause abortion-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
FDA changes Plan B label to clarify 'morning-after' pill doesn't cause abortion
View Date:2024-12-23 19:43:50
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it will overhaul packaging labels for the emergency contraceptive pill, Plan B, that women can take after having sex to prevent a pregnancy.
The federal agency said it will remove references on the contraception's packaging that claim, without scientific evidence, that the pill prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the womb.
The new labels are intended to further distinguish the emergency contraception — also known as the morning after pill — from abortion pills, which end a pregnancy after a fertilized egg has implanted in the lining of a woman's uterus.
In a memo released Friday, the FDA clarified that taking Plan B pills is not the same as an abortion, a fact that has long been understood in the medical community.
"Evidence does not support that the drug affects implantation or maintenance of a pregnancy after implantation, therefore it does not terminate a pregnancy," the FDA said in its statement.
The agency added that the emergency contraception works similarly to birth control in preventing pregnancy, but contains a higher dose of levonorgestrel. The pill prevents ovulation.
About a quarter of women say they've used emergency contraception pills at some point, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control released last year.
Still, concern has swirled that access to emergency contraception such as Plan B might be limited in some states, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion this summer. Nevada's Republican governor-elect said he'd consider banning the pill during a debate this year. School clinics in Idaho also prohibited the pills under a law banning public funding for "abortion related services" last year.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Plan B for use up to 72 hours, or three days, after unprotected sex. Women are able to get the emergency contraception over the counter.
veryGood! (851)
Related
- Mississippi rising, Georgia falling in college football NCAA Re-Rank 1-134 after Week 11
- Aldi announces wage increases up to $23 an hour; hiring thousands of employees
- 'Like a bomb going off': Video captures freight train smashing through artillery vehicle
- Keep Up With All the Exciting Developments in Dream Kardashian’s World
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Something Corporate
- Lil Wayne says Super Bowl 59 halftime show snub 'broke' him after Kendrick Lamar got gig
- Walgreens to pay $106M to settle allegations it submitted false payment claims for prescriptions
- Ex-NYC federal building guard gets 5-year sentence in charge related to sex assault of asylum seeker
- My Little Pony finally hits the Toy Hall of Fame, alongside Phase 10 and Transformers
- J.K. Dobbins makes statement with electrifying Chargers debut
Ranking
- Justice Department says jail conditions in Georgia’s Fulton County violate detainee rights
- Selling Sunset's Chelsea Lazkani Admits She Orchestrated Bre Tiesi's Allegation About Jeff Lazkani
- Kansas cold case ends 44 years later as man is sentenced for killing his former neighbor in 1980
- Former ALF Child Star Benji Gregory's Cause of Death Revealed
- Nelly will not face charges after St. Louis casino arrest for drug possession
- Meet Little Moo Deng, the Playful Baby Hippo Who Has Stolen Hearts Everywhere
- Best Nordstrom Rack’s Clearance Sale Deals Under $50 - Free People, Sorel, Levi's & More, Starting at $9
- Fast-moving fire roars through Philadelphia warehouse
Recommendation
-
Appeals Court Affirms Conviction of Everglades Scientist Accused of Stealing ‘Trade Secrets’
-
Congo court sentences 3 Americans and 34 others to death on coup charges
-
Lil Tay Shown in Hospital Bed After Open Heart Surgery One Year After Death Hoax
-
Barry Keoghan Confesses He Doesn't Have Normal Relationship With Son Brando
-
What is prize money for NBA Cup in-season tournament? Players get boost in 2024
-
No ‘Friday Night Lights': High school football games canceled in some towns near interstate shooting
-
Still adjusting to WWE life, Jade Cargill is 'here to break glass ceilings'
-
Tom Cruise’s Surprising Paycheck for 2024 Paris Olympics Stunt Revealed