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Can Plan B®
end a pregnancy?
Conception or
fertilization is the term used when the sperm joins the egg. When
this happens,
human life has begun. The embryo moves through the fallopian tube
and implants in the uterus
about a week later.
Plan B®
works in one of three ways and the difference depends upon where the
woman is in her cycle. If she has not yet ovulated, taking Plan B®
can work as a contraceptive and suppress ovulation. If she
has ovulated, it can prevent the sperm from coming into contact with
the egg.
The last way in
which Plan B® may work is a little more complicated. If
Plan B®
is
taken after an egg has been fertilized it may not allow the embryo
to implant in the uterus. The manufacturer of
Plan B®
states that "Plan
B® isn't effective if you're already pregnant, and it
won't terminate an existing pregnancy."
The problem lies
in the definition of conception.
In 1965, the
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) issued a
medical bulletin
that sought to change the accepted definition of "conception: from
union of sperm and egg
to implantation: Conception is the implantation of a fertilized
ovum [egg]." It is important to note
that this change did not appear to be driven by then-existing (or
subsequent) scientific advances in biology, embryology, obstetrics,
or gynecology. While ACOG has been joined in its view by abortion
and family planning advocacy groups, a large number of current
medical dictionaries have not made the definition change.
When
Plan B®
was
approved by the FDA, we called the manufacture to ask about how they
defined conception. Our question was not answered and we were told
that it is a controversial
subject. If the long-standing definition is used,
and the use of
Plan B®
inhibits implantation of a fertilized egg, it would be a very early
abortion.
Sources:
AUL Comments on
Proposed Health and Human Services Regulation on Healthcare
Workers' Rights of Conscience: Conscience Protections Essential to
Healthcare System
http://www.aul.org/hhsroc
(Accessed March 2, 2009)
Note: This article contains an excellent overview of the history of
the definition change.
Manufacturer's
Prescribing Information for
Plan B®
(Levonorgestrel)
tablets, 0.75 mg. Mfg. by Gedeon Richter, Ltd., Budapest, Hungary
for Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Subsidiary of Barr
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Pomona, NY 10970. Revised August 2006. BR-038
/ 21000382503
http://www.go2planb.com/pdf/PlanBPI.pdf (Accessed March 2,
2009)
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