The US FDA has recently approved the emergency contraceptive pill that a woman can take up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse: Ellaâ„¢.
Manufactured by the French company HRA Pharma and known in Europe as ellaOne, Ellaâ„¢ will be distributed in the US by Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Morristown, New Jersey.
Available by prescription only, Ellaâ„¢ has been found more effective for a longer period of time than Teva Pharmaceuticals' Plan B (an EC pill that is available OTC to women ages 17 and older) — which can only be taken up to 3 days after unprotected sex.
We should all remember that both Ellaâ„¢ and Plan B are emergency contraceptive pills and should not be taken as regular contraception.
US FDA's approval has once again sparked debates on whether Ellaâ„¢ is an emergency contraceptive pill or an abortion drug. Ellaâ„¢ – whose generic name is ulipristal acetate – prevents pregnancy by blocking the effects of progesterone (a hormone that spurs ovulation). On the other hand, there is also "some evidence" that the pill can reduce the lining of the uterus, thereby making it difficult for a fertilized egg to implant.
Anti-abortion groups – that opposed Ellaâ„¢'s approval – said that preventing the implantation of a fertilized egg to the lining of the uterus is already an equivalent of abortion.
So what's your verdict?
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