Birth control pill causes uproar before US debut

The emergency contraceptive pill ellaOne is causing friction between doctors and anti-abortion groups in the United States, though it is not yet available here.

“It’s next generation emergency contraception,” according to European-based pharmaceutical company HRA Pharma representatives in a May 29, 2009, announcement.

EllaOne is different than pills like Plan B, or “the morning after pill,” which can be taken within three days of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. EllaOne can be taken within five days of unprotected sex or contraceptive failure, providing women with a larger window of time to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

Pregnancy begins when the egg is fertilized so the five-day window ellaOne allows can result in an abortion, said Dr. Donna Harrison, president of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

“To label this [pill] as emergency contraception when it’s clearly an abortive action is dishonest,” Harrison said.

The pill was granted marketing authorization by the European Union and has been available to states within the EU since mid-September.

HRA Pharma said there are no hidden intentions regarding ellaOne.

“Our company is committed to advancing the discovery and development of new medicines tackling unmet needs in the field of reproductive health,” said Erin Gainer, CEO of HRA Pharma. “EllaOne is the first licensed product to have been specifically designed and developed for use as an oral emergency contraceptive.”

EllaOne is 50 percent more effective than the Plan B, according to recent research published by the medical journal “Lancet.”

The new pill energizes the debate concerning when life actually begins during pregnancy.

One student finds the purpose of emergency contraception confusing.

“I actually don’t get how it works,” said Lauren Guban, second-year childhood education student. “On commercials it says it does not terminate pregnancy if you are pregnant, so what does it do then?”

Dr. Lauren Streicher, a clinical instructor in obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern Medical School, argues that many people are hesitant about using emergency contraceptives because they think of it as abortive.

“With emergency contraception, the goal is to stop a pregnancy,” Streicher said.

Although HRA Pharma has a headquarters in New York City, it has not released an official date of ellaOne’s U.S. release.

Norvelo, another form of emergency contraceptive distributed through HRA Pharma, has already been released stateside.