Emergency Contraceptive Bill Will Improve Lives in Massachusetts

By Representative James Eldridge

In the Legislature’s passage of Senate bill 2073, An Act to Provide Timely Access to Emergency Contraception, Massachusetts has its improved its commitment to helping women who have been raped, ensured that the number of abortions occurring in the state will be reduced, and improved the lives of thousands of men and women, especially those struggling to lift themselves out of poverty or a troubled family life. 

In considering the bill, it is critical for the public to understand what emergency contraception (also known as the “morning after pill”) is, and what it is not.  Emergency contraception (EC) is a pill that can be taken by women who have unprotected sex and fear that they may become pregnant.  The pill prevents a pregnancy from beginning by delaying ovulation and inhibiting fertilization and implantation.  The EC pill is effective for up to five days after intercourse, and is more than 95% effective if taken within 24 hours.  However, once a woman becomes pregnant (i.e. fertilization has occurred), the pill will have no effect, and the pregnancy will be unharmed.  The EC pill is not the RU-486 “abortion” pill, and if taken after a woman is pregnant, the pill will not harm an existing pregnancy. 

An Act to Provide Timely Access to Emergency Contraception will help Massachusetts residents in these situations through two main provisions.  First, all hospital emergency rooms would be required to make the EC pill (also known as the “morning after pill”) available to any woman who was raped.  For a woman who has been sexually assaulted, taking the EC pill within 24 hours after having been raped is the critical period to prevent the pregnancy. 

In Massachusetts, more than 7,000 women are raped every year.  These women did not choose to become pregnant, and they should be afforded that choice through the EC pill to not become pregnant as a result of such a horrid crime.  Considering that many of the pregnancies by rape end in abortions, it is clear that Senate bill 2073 will contribute to reducing some of these abortions.

The bill’s other major provision would allow all pharmacists to provide emergency contraception to any woman who requested it, wishing to prevent a pregnancy due to unprotected sex.  This section will ensure that all Massachusetts residents have access to this form of contraception, including those who live in more rural communities that are not close to a hospital.  The right to choose to become pregnant or not is preserved for women, and one mistake will not have to place such a significant life event as pregnancy on a woman.  Although in a perfect world a couple would not be in such a situation and other forms of contraception would work 100% of the time, the reality of life and our society makes accessibility to the EC pill necessary.

In Massachusetts today, approximately 26,000 abortions are performed annually.  Nationwide, about of half of all pregnancies are unintended.  One-third of all unintended pregnancies occur among teenagers, and three quarters of teenage pregnancies occur among adolescents who are not using any form of contraception.  With the Emergency Contraceptive bill, Massachusetts can begin reducing these statistics, and help improve the lives of the men and women who make them up.  A woman who is raped can prevent a pregnancy that was caused by a criminal, and focus her energy on recovering from such a brutal crime.  A married couple who is opposed to abortion and practices safe sex but discovers an accident has occurred will still have the ability to delay having children until they are ready.  A young teenage girl with dreams of going to college and making something of herself but who foolishly engages in unprotected sex can still control her destiny. 

All of these incidents speak to the personal struggles that any woman or couple may encounter when dealing with a pregnancy.  They not only have a profound impact on individual lives, but the policy implications of abortions, welfare, child support, public health, infant mortality, and standard of living. An Act to Provide Timely Access to Emergency Contraception will have profound positive impact on the private lives of thousands of Massachusetts residents, and our society as a whole.