By Emily Murray
As the national Back up Your Birth Control Campaign Day of Action is upon us, we have a lot to celebrate!
We live in a nation where women still have the right to choose what they want to do with their bodies and this is one freedom we should never overlook. Unfortunately, our reproductive rights will always be a topic of hot debate and we are still faced with many examples of prejudice when it comes to birth control options, emergency contraception and confusion regarding the facts about both.
EC is effective in helping to prevent pregnancy after sex. This medical advancement has given us a great new tool when it comes to birth control – and that is just it, emergency contraception is a type of birth control despite the criticism it is up against. There are times when other forms of birth control fail or unprotected sex occurs and EC allows for an additional form of back up birth control. For women who have been the victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or rape, EC provides an amazing opportunity to prevent pregnancy as well. The fact that pregnancy can be prevented after intercourse is something that has helped advance reproductive health options for women by leaps and bounds.
If you are unfamiliar with how it works, essentially there are two main options for EC:
Plan B: Plan B is an over the counter option that is effective for up to 3 days after unprotected sex.
ella: ella is the newest form of EC and is effective for up to 5 days after unprotected sex. A prescription is required.
These emergency contraception pills work often by delaying ovulation, therefore preventing the egg and sperm from joining.
You would think with these options available at most pharmacies there would be no issue when a woman actually needed to get EC right?
Unfortunately, it’s not always the case.
Did you know that 1 in 5 pharmacies actually make it nearly impossible for women (especially teens) to get the medication? Can you imagine going to the pharmacy for your diabetes medication and having the pharmacist simply deny you the right to get your medication? Unfortunately if a pharmacist does not understand or agree with the use of emergency contraception, he/she can essentially prevent a woman from getting this extremely time sensitive medication.
When it comes to getting ella, or ordering EC online, one challenge at least is diminished – the prejudice is erased.
No more walking into a pharmacy only to be embarrassed when the pharmacist is reluctant to fill your prescription of ella or hand over Plan B. When you order online, a physician looks at your medical history and situation and writes the prescription without passing judgement. Fortunately this option makes it possible to avoid this type of roadblock when it comes to our reproductive health.
This is just one example of how the misconceptions surrounding emergency contraception are still taking hold of society and reminds us why it must be dispelled.
The Back up Your Birth Control Day of Action is about just that! Ladies and gents spread the word today about EC. The only way that these misconceptions will disappear is if we work to educate the general public as well as government officials and lawmakers.
If you are a blogger, get typing! If you are a social media fan, get to sharing! Together we can help spread awareness and dissolve the stigma surrounding EC!
You can order ella online today (to have on hand in case of emergency) – here and save $5 as part of today’s Day of Action!