Lousiana State University’s Feminists in Action (FIA) group handed out $60,000 — 1,200 units — of emergency contraception on campus in the last month to anyone who wanted it, no questions asked, according to LSU Reveille. But to whom was the emergency contraception given?
The group is said to have obtained 1,500 units of the emergency contraception brand Julie through grants from the pro-abortion group Advocates for Youth (AFY) and the American Society for Emergency Contraception’s EC4EC program, which works to get emergency contraception on every college campus. AFY is an extremist group that pushes for more contraception and more abortion while endorsing no-strings sex for all ages. (Read more about AFY here.) One unit of emergency contraception is one tablet, which typically costs $50 over the counter.
Lillian Sims, a sophomore and FIA’s Planned Parenthood chair, said the only requirement for getting the emergency contraception was to ask for it. “We just want to make sure people who need it are getting it, no matter what,” she said.
This implies that anyone, even an abusive boyfriend or predator, could gain access to emergency contraception and give it to a young woman without her knowledge. It also puts girls in danger of taking the pills on a regular basis, which can be unsafe.
READ: Olivia Rodrigo’s team halts distribution of emergency contraception at concerts after backlash
Though women have been led to believe they can take emergency contraception as often as they want, it should not be used routinely. Frequent use can result in increased side effects, including blood clots and menstrual irregularities, according to the World Health Organization. Repeated use may also be harmful to women with certain health conditions that are classified as medical eligibility criteria category 2, 3, or 4.
Dr. Akinsola Akinde, former Chairman of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, said women repeatedly using emergency contraception are at risk for deep vein thrombosis, which occurs when blood clots form in one or more of the deep veins of the body. He believes emergency contraception should be reserved for sexual assault survivors, not for those who make a habit of casual sex.
In 2021, the Managing Director of Optima Care Diagnostics, Dr. Kelvin Owusu, spoke with The Breakfast Daily about the ‘abuse’ of emergency contraception. “Emergency contraceptive is very different from the regular contraceptive that you are supposed to take routinely…” he said. “An emergency contraceptive should never be the routine or the normal contraceptive methods. I’m saying this because too many people use emergency contraceptives too often.”
He said it should not be used more than once a year, noting, “If you keep using emergency contraceptives, there’s a problem that needs to be addressed holistically because the purpose of the emergency contraceptive is to address emergency situations.”
