Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan: Disturbing delays in Plan B's release

Kids make mistakes: we smear paint on the walls, we throw macaroni and cheese at the dog. We keep messing up as we get older, too, getting caught copying our classmates' multiplication tables and sneaking out past curfew. It's a given -- doing really stupid things is part of growing up.

This growing-up process certainly doesn't stop when we're teenagers or college students, but when we start screwing up in regards to drugs or sex or any of the other forbidden fruits of the young-adult world, the consequences can be much greater than extra chores or having to stay in at recess. That's why the FDA's recent delay in approving the "morning-after pill" for sale over the counter is so troubling.

Here's the story, for those who don't know: the morning-after pill also known as emergency contraception, or Barr Laboratories, Inc.'s Plan B is a drug designed to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex.

The morning-after pill has been available by prescription for some time now, and the FDA has been considering approving it for over-the-counter sales. But a little over a week ago, the FDA pushed back its decision deadline by three months. They say they need more information about the pill; opponents say they're bowing to political pressure from those adamantly opposed to the move.

Maybe the FDA does need more information, but this deal seems a bit fishy. And that's a shame because making emergency contraception easier to get is a great idea.

Opponents to this measure argue that stocking Plan B at your local CVS will encourage promiscuity, especially among teenagers (gasp!). Not only that, they say it will lead to high-risk sexual behavior and a rise in STDs.

Each side cites its own research that says increased availability of the morning-after pill does or does not turn young people into nymphomaniac bed-hoppers, but let's just think this through for a minute. Does it really make sense that this change will cause chaste young All-American kids to renounce their virginity? Will it truly make teens who aren't having sex, for whatever reason, suddenly leap between the sheets? I don't think so. Plan B isn't aimed at them anyway it's much more useful for those who have already decided to get busy and run into some sort of snag in the process.

See, I have a sneaking suspicion that those who oppose making Plan B over the counter are the same ones who honestly think that teaching abstinence til marriage in health class as a form of birth control really works. If only our little angels weren't exposed to all this talk about condoms and diaphragms, they think, we wouldn't have these unplanned pregnancies and abortions.

Yeah, right.

Don't misunderstand me abstinence is a great choice for teens and college kids who fear babies or gonorrhea or who just aren't ready to get it on. But no matter how hard adults try to force us into chastity belts, we young people are going to have sex. Go ahead and plug abstinence all you want, it won't work.

Given this reality, it's in everybody's best interest to make sure we're doing it safely and that we know how to get birth control and protect ourselves from STDs. I think a lot of young unmarrieds are smart about this but that doesn't mean one broken condom can't land an otherwise careful couple into a serious situation. Making emergency contraception easier to get is a way to ensure that such a "wardrobe malfunction" doesn't turn into a major problem for the young lovers.

But it's not just condom failures that lead to such sticky situations, and that's where those growing-up mistakes come in. Believe it or not, very smart people, your friends or maybe even you, can do very dumb things. Even the kids who got A's all through sex ed can screw up. They get drunk, they get caught up in the moment, they just plain don't think and somehow, really stupid decisions, like having unprotected sex, get made.

So why should young people have to face consequences as grave as pregnancy for one error of judgment? There's not much disagreement that unwanted pregnancies and abortions are undesirable outcomes, and making sure that Plan B is readily available would prevent such mishaps. And to those who argue that total abstinence would be a better way to avoid these problems: Get real.

There's a potential for abuse, of course, if Plan B becomes an over-the-counter pill. Ideally, we'd educate our young people enough to realize that emergency contraception is truly for emergencies and not a get-out-of-the-OB/GYN's-office-free card. But any worries to this end are outweighed by the possibility of averting the emotional trauma of pregnancy for the couple, their families and any babies who get caught in the middle of the mess.

When it comes to sex, things can go wrong. Whether it's a malfunctioning rubber or a plain old stupid decision, though, no one should have to deal with such serious, potentially life-changing consequences when there's a Plan B around.

Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan is a senior communications major from Wheaton, Ill. Six Feet One appears on Tuesdays.

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