Pro-Choice Leaders Tell the Future that Emergency Contraception is Birth Control and NOT Abortion

I am always surprised at how the moral and religious sway of our country seems to gain traction over scientific fact. It is well established in medical literature that a fertilized egg must implant in the uterus prior to developing into a viable fetus. So why the debate about emergency contraception?

Emergency contraceptive pills work exactly the same way as other birth control pills, and they do not interfere with or harm an existing pregnancy. Emergency contraception is simply a higher dose of daily birth control pills; it is not RU-486, the “abortion pill.” Indeed, emergency contraception has been used as a method to prevent unintended pregnancies for decades by women who had physicians advise them on how many pills in their regular pill pack to take.

Since 49% of pregnancies are unintended each year, the availability of emergency birth control, or emergency contraception, is a significant benefit to women. And whether we admit it or not, date rape, and sexual violence against women occur daily; women must have emergency contraception available after these most horrendous of acts.

Let’s applaud those women choosing emergency birth control when they know they can’t handle motherhood. And let’s stop the moral lecturing of UCF women and their uteruses.

Humans are sexual beings, and will, as humans—and as sexual beings—make mistakes. Condoms do break.

There are over 30,000 unwanted kids in Florida foster care. How about the Students for Life adopting a child already born? That would seem like the Godly thing to do.

Sue Idtensohn, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando

When I read the recent article Emergency contraceptive available at UCF for $24 I was completely shocked at the utter bias of the piece. Aside from the fact that the pro-life side was obviously given priority on this topic, the facts of the matter were totally skewed. Within the first moments of reading the article a pro-lifer is quoted as saying that emergency contraception is the same thing as abortion. I have a very big problem with this statement. Emergency contraception CANNOT end a pregnancy.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “Emergency contraceptive pills are not effective if the woman is pregnant …” (FDA, 1997). A recent study found that most often, ECPs reduce the risk of pregnancy by inhibiting ovulation (Marions, et al., 2002). More recent studies demonstrate that progestin-only ECPs only work by preventing ovulation or fertilization, and have no effect on implantation (Croxatto, et al, 2003; Ortiz, et al., 2004). Scientific authorities agree that emergency contraception reduces the risk of pregnancy and helps prevent the need for abortion; it itself is not a form of abortion (Grimes, 1997; Guillebaud, 1998; Hughes, 1972; Stewart, et al., 2004).

I hope with all my heart that no one read this article that needed emergency contraception and did not seek it out because of what one religious group and one bad journalist had to say.

Sarah Miller, Vice President for Action at NOW UCF

Journalistc integrity is one of presenting the facts in an unbiased manner regarding the issues reported on and the subsequent validity of said issues to the demographic onto which a publication is made available. It is my belief that the article written by reporter Kitty Johnson regarding the availability of emergency contraception pills on the UCF campus containing the subtitle, “decision to sell pill prompts students to consider its morality,” contained incorrect information from a source stated as fact and not the opinion it clearly was.

Johnson reported Beth Burwell who is President of the Students for Life Club at UCF, a religious based and backed student organization, stating that emergency contraception is abortion. This is wholly untrue, and an opinion bereft in faith-based bias. Simply stated: her opinion was reported as fact and an irresponsible representation of the emergency contraception available on campus.

Burwell stated, “Although ECP is designed to prevent fertilization, it has a second effect of preventing the newly conceived child from implanting in the womb, thus causing a miscarriage for the tiny growing baby.”

The word ‘baby’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural babies;Etymology: Middle English, from babe 1 a (1) : an extremely young child; especially : infant (2) : an extremely young animal b : the youngest of a group 2 a : one that is like a baby (as in behavior) b : something that is one’s special responsibility, achievement, or interest.

It is my understanding that by preventing the fertilizing of egg by sperm, conception of a zygote, and therefore potential pregnancy (I state ‘potential,’ as all fertilized eggs do not implant,) one is not forcing iscarriage for the “tiny growing baby,” but simply not allowing the potential for gestation to come to fruition.

I have a question to pose for Kristin Harnish who is quoted as saying, “I think it [emergency contraception] promotes promiscuity, and presents an easy way out for students who might have made a better choice…Life begins at conception. Emergency contraception allows a student to choose to get rid of the baby, without facing the moral dilemma.” Ms. Harnish, do you think the victims of date-rape, an issue prevalent in our community as can be seen in the statistics collected by Victim Services at UCF, are simply looking for ‘an easy way out’ of a situation too-horrible for most women and men to contemplate? Do you think the victim in that situation does not have as much of a right to attempt to heal and prevent the possibility of a horrifically realized pregnancy versus the ‘right’ of unfertilized cells? I ask you that question in hoping people will realize the basis of some arguments against emergency contraception are not merely the ‘moral dilemma’ of students who engage in ‘promiscuity,’ or perhaps may have ‘made a better choice’ in deciding who to accompany to the movies on a Friday night and not knowing what may lay ahead.

The ‘morality of contraception’ aside, which seems to have no basis in an article with a title seemingly aimed at educating the UCF community that emergency contraception is available, I find the immorality based in the misuse of opinion quotes presented as uneducated fact. Please remember that bias in journalism does no credit to the profession, and an educated audience is one that can be inspired by truthful and balanced reporting.

Liza Wolf, NOW UCF Vice President for Communications

UCF Future Allows Emergency Contraception to be Likened to Abortion! TAKE ACTION NOW!

We need you to respond to an extremely skewed and inaccurate article printed this week in the UCF Future about Emergency Contraception.

The article consulted the campus’s Right to Life group, which argued that EC is the equivalent of an abortion, and excluded the views of NOW Orlando and VOX UCF. This article allowed mythology, religious extremism and stigmas to dominate an important conversation that students need to be having about birth control and sexuality. By printing this article without medically accurate information about Emergency Contraception, the UCF Future has contributed to the war on women and the war on birth control. We must stand together to defend the students of UCF from this type of mis-information.

Please read the article below, and take a moment to write an email to the Managing Editor, Kate Howell. After you’re done, send us the email and we’ll post a few on the noworlando.org site.

Emergency contraceptive available at UCF for $24 Decision to sell pill
prompts students to consider its morality

The Health Center’s decision to make the emergency contraception pill, also known as the morning-after pill, available to the UCF community has sparked some debate among students.

Beth Burwell, president of the Students for Life Club at UCF, said she is disappointed with the university’s decision to provide ECP to students. “Many women may not realize that they are aborting a child,” Burwell said. “Although ECP is designed to prevent fertilization, it has a second effect of preventing the newly conceived child from implanting in the womb, thus causing a miscarriage for the tiny growing baby.”

Kristin Harnish, a graduating senior, is also concerned about the university’s choice to distribute ECP to students. “I think it promotes promiscuity, and presents an easy way out for students who might have made a better choice,” Harnish said. “Life begins at conception. Emergency contraception allows a student to choose to get rid of the baby, without facing the moral dilemma.”

Many people think of a newly conceived child as just a cell, Burwell added. She said, that while it may be one cell at the moment of conception, within hours there are 500 more cells that rapidly duplicate into thousands more. “That’s way past the one cell phase,” she said. While university health officials do not deny that ECP may prevent a fertilized egg from implanting to the uterus wall, they stress that once implantation has occurred, ECP has no impact on the fetus.

According to Karen Yerkes of the UCF Women’s Clinic, the UCF Health Center strives to encourage students to make safe choices that could prevent disease or unintended pregnancy. However, the health center is also
committed to educating its sexually active students about all of their options. “By providing contraceptive services as part of our quality health care, we help to keep UCF students in the classroom,” Yerkes added.

Sophomore Alexis Stangl said she is pleased with the university’s effort to fully educate its students. “Everyone should be free to make their own choice,” she said. She also pointed out that students may need to use ECP because of difficult circumstances, such as rape.

Rachel Koplin, a freshman theater major, said that people have a right to believe as they choose and do whatever they want with their own bodies. She said that she believes it is the university’s job to educate its students and allow them to make their own decisions based on what they believe.

According to a national survey by the American College Health Association, birth control pills and condoms are the two most used methods of preventing pregnancy among students. However, 10.7 percent of sexually active students surveyed indicated that they or their partners had used the emergency contraception pill when other
methods failed.

“Emergency contraception pills can prevent pregnancy if used within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse,” said Michael Deichen, associate clinical director of UCF Health Services. “ECP works in the same fashion as oral contraceptive pills, Deichen said. “The hormones inhibit ovulation, but also reduce the likelihood of fertilization of the egg, and implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterus.”

According to Yerkes, the emergency contraception pill is usually effective in preventing pregnancy if used immediately. “For every 100 women who have unprotected intercourse, eight will get pregnant,” she explained. “With ECP, only one will get pregnant; a 75 percent to 85 percent reduction.”

The emergency contraception pill is available by prescription only at the UCF Health Center for $24.

Yerkes warned that ECP can have some side effects including nausea, fatigue, breast tenderness, headache, abdominal pain and dizziness. She added that these effects are usually mild and only last for a day or so.

Students who would like more information on emergency contraception can contact REACH for Wellness or UCF Health Services.

Thank you for your support.

Jenna Cawley
President, Orlando NOW

Take Action Against Discrimination in the Constitution!

Shameful…

To tell President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Governor of Florida Jeb Bush, Governor of California Arnold Schwartzenegger, Senators Biden, Dorgan, Bingaman, Leahy, Lugar and Shelby that you are opposed to this amendment, simply click here and hit send.

Cool Poster, huh?

Lazy Moon Loves Ladies!

NOW Orlando has recently gotten some local news coverage over our opposition to a local event being called “Beats, Bitches and Beer.” Local club promoters were throwing a party within walking distance of Orlando’s University of Central Florida with this offensive and derogatory name. Orlando NOW President Jenna Cawley emailed the event’s promoters in order to encourage them not to participate in the sexist and hostile culture of college parties, and to communicate in a more inclusive and less offensive language. The response Jenna received was very hostile and reflected a lack of social awareness of the violent reality of college parties to many young women.

In response to this reflection of sexism, Orlando NOW in conjunction with Voices for Planned Parenthood-UCF threw a party at Lazy Moon pizzeria called Lazy Moon Loves Ladies. The event, which was intended to raise awareness about sexual assault and sexual violence at College Campuses, was a major success with around 200-300 students and activists in attendance. Pictures are now available on the pictures portion of the site.

Check out our new pictures!

This weekend was very successful! Jenna was elected to the Florida NOW PAC Committee, Cicely was elected to the Florida Young Feminist Task Force, the License Plate Committee got the the website art contest off the ground, and Orlando NOW won the bid to hold the 2007 Conference in the Orlando Area!

After the State Council Meeting, we held a very successful NOW Demonstration on the corner of Bumby and Colonial! Some people walking by were so inspired by our message that they joined us. Check out the pictures on the NEW! picture page.

This picture is from yesterday!

Pro-Choice License Plate Art Contest

Attention All Pro-Choice Artists:

I am happy to report that work has started on obtaining a pro-choice license plate for this state. Florida has approximately 100 specialty plates, including one that has provided over a million dollars for anti-choice clinics.

The time has come to get our message out too! But we need your help…

to submit an entry for the art contest please visit
www.licensetochoose.org

Victory Against Wal-Mart!

National Organization for Women Press Release

On 3/3/05, Wal-Mart did the right thing and reversed its discriminatory policy against stocking the “morning-after pill!” Beginning on March 20th, Wal-Mart will start filling women’s prescriptions for the morning-after pill in pharmacies across the country.

While this decision is a major step forward for women’s health, Wal-Mart has made it clear that it will allow for a “pharmacist refusal policy” which will enable anti-choice pharmacists to refuse to fill a woman’s prescription based on their own moral, religious or political ideology.

The National Organization for Women Orlando Chapter opposes pharmacist refusal policies and will continue to advocate for over-the-counter emergency contraception as the drug is known to be very safe and requiring a prescription creates an undue burden on a woman trying to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.

New Meeting Location! Meetings will now be held twice monthly!

Meetings will now be held on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of every month at 2pm. Our new meeting location is the LGBT Center Downtown on Mills. We hope to see you there!

Pro-Choice License Plate Project Underway

Good news! Jenna and I submitted our resolution to the NOW state council meeting on January 22, to begin work on the Pro-Choice license plate, it was approved and we are now starting the fund raising and legislative processes. We will be administrating an art contest for the design of the plate and we have many amazing fund raising ideas in the works. This is a huge project so if you are interested in getting involved please contact cicely@noworlando.org. In the meantime, stay tuned for updates about our fundraisers and events or donate below.
-Cicely Scheiner, VP