September 2, 2005 -- Pediatricians Support Emergency Contraception for Teens

In a policy statement released September 1, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advised all pediatricians to tell adolescent patients about emergency contraception as part of regular preventive care visits. The statement notes that two emergency contraception medications currently approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—Preven and Plan B—“are safe and effective for adolescent use,” though the statement indicates that Plan B, which is a progestin-only method, is more effective and better tolerated and is the first choice of dedicated products for emergency contraception. The statement notes that “Studies show that an increase in the availability of emergency contraception does not change rates of sexual activity or increase the frequency of unprotected sex among adolescents.” Plan B is currently available only by prescription, and the FDA has denied an application from the manufacturer to make Plan B available over the counter on the grounds that easier availability of the medication would encourage promiscuous unprotected sex by teenagers. Plan B, a combination of hormones found in most daily oral contraceptives, must be used within 72 hours or less of sexual activity, making prompt access to the medication an issue. The AAP statement also notes that emergency contraception inhibits the ovulatory process and “does not have the ability to disrupt a pregnancy that is already planted in the uterine lining.” The AAP points out that although adolescent birth rates have declined in the past 10 years, unintended teen pregnancy and its “associated negative consequences” remain important public health concerns. “Emergency contraception has the potential to significantly reduce teen pregnancy rates, and this will similarly reduce the abortion rate,” the statement concludes. The full text of the statement is posted on the AAP website at www.aap.org.