Missouri Plan B Bill Presented to State House Panel

A new law introduced to Missouri State House panel last week would re-classify emergency contraception (EC) as "abortifacient," even though the FDA does not use that classification for EC. The bill, HB 1625, would also allow pharmacies to refuse to dispense both the Plan B emergency contraceptive pill and RU486, also know as mifepristone, and would protect the pharmacies from legal repercussions.

According toNARAL Pro-Choice Missouri, not only does this bill incorrectly classify the Plan B pill as an abortifacient against the "overwhelming medical consensus," the bill could also violate the Missouri Human Rights Act.

Colleen Coble, a Columbia victims' rights group leader, told the Missouri House Panel that the bill would have serious ramifications for victims of sexual assault. "In a case where your body has become a crime scene, where you have undergone an incredibly invasive examination to gather evidence, (this bill) would make you travel four counties away to avoid becoming pregnant by the person who violently attacked you. This is an issue of health care. It's an issue of decency," she said, according to the Kansas City Star.

Media Resources: NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri; Missouri HB 1625; Kansas City Star 2/17/08

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