When Plan B Is Abortion, by Anthony Campagna

Abortion is the natural end of a contraceptive mentality, and Plan B serves as an icon of the relationship between contraception and abortion.

By Anthony Campagna, PharmD, Crisis Magazine, March 22, 2023

Anthony Campagna is a clinical pharmacist practicing in Western Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife and children. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy from Duquesne University in 2013.

I remember sitting in a dimly lit lecture hall, just over a decade ago, listening to my professor expound on the benefits of oral contraception. The day’s lesson was emergency contraception (EC), specifically, Plan B® (levonorgestrel), known commonly as “the morning after pill.” She addressed this lecture hall full of future pharmacists and taught us how to counsel patients about the drug, about its benefits, dose timing, and mechanism of action (MOA). This was at a Catholic school, mind you.

What piqued my interest that particular day, however, was the mechanism of action, that is, how a drug actually works, at the cellular, and even molecular level. She explained that levonorgestrel (LNG) inhibits ovulation, which most of our class already knew; but she went on to explain that LNG may also prevent a fertilized egg from implanting. She meant this to be a positive thing. I whispered to my friend, “That sounds like an abortion, right?” “Sure does,” came his reply. …

Continue reading >>>>