Center for American Progress

It’s Time to Eliminate Barriers to Safe Pregnancy Prevention
In the News

It’s Time to Eliminate Barriers to Safe Pregnancy Prevention

Jessica Arons writes about how it's long past time to lift these arbitrary and unnecessary barriers to this safe, effective, and time-sensitive method of pregnancy prevention.

The morning after pill should be available on store shelves without an age limit. Everyone deserves to have ready access to a backup form of birth control and a second chance to prevent unintended pregnancy.

Emergency contraception is birth control that must be used in an emergency—when a primary method has failed or was not used. It cannot cause an abortion as it will not work if a woman is already pregnant. Emergency contraception can be effective up to three to five days after unprotected sex, but has greater efficacy the sooner it is taken. That is why time is of the essence and women need to be able to obtain it at a moment’s notice.

The above excerpt was originally published in U.S. News & World Report. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

Jessica Arons

Director, Women\'s Health & Rights Program