To the Editor:
As the premiere student organization advocating for reproductive rights here at Ohio State, Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood would like to expand on the article "Organizations reach out, offer helping hand to rape victims" in Wednesday's Lantern.
First, we would like to emphasize that emergency contraception (EC, often known as the morning-after pill) is a safe and effective method of pregnancy prevention. EC can be used up to 5 days (120 hours) after unprotected sex, in instances where a condom breaks or no other form of birth control is used.
Second, EC is not an option for women who are already pregnant, and should not be confused with RU-486, the "abortion pill" used to terminate early pregnancies.
Third, although EC is accessible without a prescription in 38 countries, it is not available over the counter in the United States. At the end of August, the Food & Drug Administration announced another in a long series of delays on their decision regarding the over-the-counter status of EC, despite overwhelming recommendations from leading medical organizations and from their own panel of experts.
In our four years at Ohio State, Vox has continuously promoted awareness of pro-choice and reproductive health issues, including emergency contraception. We have organized information drives and demonstrations, brought speakers and health care providers to campus, and worked to educate the university community. We are currently developing a sexual assault awareness workshop for the Greek community, with plans to eventually reach out to the student body as a whole.
We applaud Katelyn Jackson and The Lantern for bringing these important issues to attention, and we hope to see continued efforts by the OSU community to protect women's health.
Lauryn Shipp President Voices for Planned Parenthood at OSU
Be the first to comment on this article!