[News-releases] NOW President to Testify Before FDA Committees -Urges Approval of Emergency Contraception for Over-the-Counter Use

NOW Press Office
202-628-8669 Lisa Bennett, x 123
202-785-8576 (fax)

NOW President to Testify Before FDA Committees - Urges Approval of 
Emergency Contraception for Over-the-Counter Use

December 15, 2003

"NOW strongly urges the FDA to make emergency contraception available 
without prescription," said NOW President Kim Gandy. "Plan B is safe, 
effective, easy to use, and could prevent thousands of unwanted 
pregnancies. The women who will benefit most from the availability of 
emergency contraception are rape victims, young women, low-income women and 
rural, isolated women -- and any woman who is unable to quickly reach a 
sympathetic physician to obtain a prescription. We urge the FDA to remember 
these often overlooked women as it makes its decision." The Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA) is currently considering making Plan B emergency 
contraception (levonorgestrel) available to women over-the-counter. Two key 
FDA advisory committees are holding a hearing tomorrow to discuss the 
safety and effectiveness of Plan B, two pills that prevent pregnancy if 
taken shortly after sexual intercourse.

What:   Testimony Before the Joint Meeting of the Nonprescription Drugs 
Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs

Who:   Kim Gandy, President, National Organization for Women

When:   Tuesday, December 16, 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Where:   Hilton Hotel, The Ballrooms, 620 Perry Pkwy., Gaithersburg, Md.

NOW was disappointed by another FDA committee's recent recommendation to 
allow silicone breast implants back on to the market, and Gandy hopes that 
the agency will take women's best interests into account this time around. 
"As its name suggests, this drug is about responding to emergencies -- 
emergencies that are a result of unwanted sex or contraceptive failure," 
said Gandy. "Once a woman is raped, or a condom breaks, the clock beings 
ticking -- emergency contraception will work for only 72 hours after sex. 
However, many hospitals do not provide emergency contraception, even to 
rape victims. And making an appointment with a doctor to obtain a timely 
prescription can be next to impossible for many women."

"NOW calls for the FDA to do the right thing. As George W. Bush acts to 
restrict women's reproductive rights, women are counting on medical 
professionals to expand our reproductive options and access."