What's that old familiar saying? Oh yeah, "the science changed," right?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday announced it had approved a request by the makers of Plan B to update how information about the drug is presented.
- Along with several changes, the agency specified that Plan B does not cause abortions.
- "Plan B One-Step prevents pregnancy by acting on ovulation, which occurs well before implantation. Evidence does not support that the drug affects implantation or maintenance of a pregnancy after implantation, therefore it does not terminate a pregnancy," the FDA said.
Uh huh. Here's what the FDA mandated on Plan B packaging for years:
- Plan B works like other birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. Plan B acts primarily by stopping the release of an egg from the ovary (ovulation). It may prevent the union of sperm and egg (fertilization). If fertilization does occur, Plan B may prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb (implantation). If a fertilized egg is implanted prior to taking Plan B, Plan B will not work.
From "it might cause an abortion" to "it definitely doesn't" virtually overnight.
Just in case anyone thinks it's decisively decided at this point, even the FDA admits that there is still the possibility of killing a fertilized embryo:
Data are strong for a mechanism of action of delay or prevention of ovulation, and data are weak to speculative regarding any postovulatory mechanistic effects, such as on fertilization or implantation.
