1996_12 The Daily Collegian December 1996

              THE DAILY
COLLEGIAN
Monday, December 2,1996
Pill: It's not RU486 but it is still controversial
Continued from page 1.
He said OCs prevent implanta¬
tion from occurring, and this is con¬
sidered a "micro-abortion."
"Even in cases of rape," Hurlbutt
said, "we don't punish our children
for their father's crimes."
Kecia Domoto. community edu¬
cator for Planned Parenthood, de¬
scribed the drug as a high-level
birth control pill.
"The pills must be taken within
three days after unprotected inter¬
course: one set of four pills right
away and then 12 hours later four
more pills must be taken," Domoto
said, "but the sooner you take them
the more effective they are."
Possible side effects of the $50
pills include nausea, vomiting,
headaches and breast tenderness.
The pharmaceutical name for
this drug is "post-coital contracep¬
tion."
Domoto said that many women
don't know about this drug, but it
has been available for more than 10
• years.
What is known for sure is that
OCs. taken in different doses within
72 hours after unprotected inter¬
course, can avert pregnancy. How¬
ever, the success rate is not easily
determined because the pills are
only prescribed if a negative result
is obtained on a pregnancy test.
"Depending on where a woman
is in her menstrual cycle." Domoto
said, "the pills can either change the
lining in the uterus so the egg will
not be able to attach to the uterine
wall, stop the ovary from releasing
the egg, prevent ovulation or dis¬
rupt fertilization by the sperm."
The Rev. Sergio Negro of Sacred
Heart Church, located just west of
Fresno State, said he does not ap¬
prove of this pill under any circum¬
stances, including when rape is in¬
volved.
'The church's position is that
taking this pill is wrong because it
prevents life," he said, "so it is the
same thing as an abortion."
He said that everything happens
for a reason, so even in the case of
rape the church believes contracep¬
tion is wrong.
The pills are only a precaution
for unprotected sex. If a woman is
already pregnant physician's will
not prescribe the pills as an abor¬
tion.
The "morning-after pill." how¬
ever, is not the same as the so-called
"abortion pill," RU486. that has
been approved only by an advisory
committee to the FDA and is not
sold in the U.S.
This pill will is a medical abor¬
tion pill, offered only if the woman
is 1-6 weeks pregnant.
Planned Parenthood will per¬
form a surgical abortion if the
woman is from 6-13 weeks along,
according to Domoto.
Family Planning Associates will
perform abortions from 14-20
weeks along.
"There is a pill prescribed for
heart problems called
Methotrexate," Domoto said, "but
some doctors are prescribing it on
a trial basis as an abortion pill."
If a woman cannot take estrogen.
other alternative OCs exist. Her
physician also can provide her with
a copper IUD (intrauterine device),
that can be used for up to five days
after intercourse with the same re¬
sult.
Similar hormones to those in
OCs can be taken by injection to
receive the same effect.
The bad news, however, is. that
the pills won't work for some
women.
Experts agree that emergency
OCs should never be used as a con¬
tinuous method of contraception.
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