About 15 to 20 people gathered in the Knight Law Center on Thursday to hear attorney Simon Heller lecture about his decade-long fight to increase the availability of emergency contraception. Heller is the lead attorney on the Center of Reproductive Rights’ case against the Food and Drug Administration to give Plan B full over-the-counter status regardless of one’s age. The lecture was put on by the School of Law’s Public Interest Public Service Program.
The lecture highlighted Heller’s beliefs that the FDA marginalizes young women and infringes on their constitutional rights. Heller said the FDA went against the recommendation of all major medical and public organizations that supported over-the-counter status for Plan B.
Heller said that Plan B is the first non-prescription drug to be kept behind the counter and with an age limit. Plan B, also known as the “morning-after pill”, has extremely mild and few side effects, he said.
“The original concern for the FDA to reject Plan B over-the-counter status was because there wasn’t enough information on women taking it under 16 years,” said Heller.
Heller’s main concern in the fight for increasing the pill’s availability is the possibility of decreasing the number of abortions in the United States, he said, adding that the nation has one of the highest unintended pregnancy rates in the world. He said that the United States is behind other countries in making Plan B easily available to women of all ages, and in Canada, women of any age can buy Plan B without a prescription.
“Why are we treating younger women this way?” said Heller. “The marginalization of younger women needs to end.”
Heller has been an advocate for women’s reproductive rights for 15 years. He said that it is unconstitutional if the drug is not given full over-the-counter status.
“It reinforces the stereotypes that women can’t make their own choices,” Heller said. “The entire scientific world says it’s safe but the Bush administration doesn’t want women to have control over their own fertility.”
“It’s rare that we get a new help for women,” Heller said.
“It’s great that we got the lead attorney on the case to come out here and speak,” said lecture coordinator and law student Heather Henderson. “It’s an important case.”
Some states have made Plan B more accessible to women under age 18. Oregon has not. Currently in Oregon, the emergency contraception pill is only available for sale behind the counter at pharmacies for people older than 18. In order for anyone 17 or younger to get it, a prescription is needed.