On 24th December, around the Christmas cheers, FDA updated the labeling and information for Plan B contraceptive products, focusing on how the “morning after” pill works and stating that it does not cause abortions. The Plan B labeling states that it is not an abortion pill.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Friday that it had approved Plan B’s request to update how information about the drug is presented.
Words of FDA
Levonorgestrel, also known as the “morning after” pill or Plan B One-Step, is an over-the-counter medication used to prevent pregnancy following unprotected sex or when contraceptive methods failed or were not used. Along with several other changes, the agency stated that Plan B does not result in abortions.
“Plan B One-Step prevents pregnancy by acting on ovulation, which occurs before implantation. “There is no evidence that the drug affects implantation or pregnancy maintenance after implantation, so it does not terminate a pregnancy,” the FDA stated.
Working on Plan B
Plan B prevents pregnancy by delaying the release of an egg from the ovary, preventing the egg from being fertilized by a sperm. The drug works best when taken within three days of unprotected sex, with the manufacturer advising that the sooner it is taken, the better it works.
According to the new packaging, the pill will not work if someone is already pregnant, and it will not terminate a pregnancy.
OB-GYN Research
According to the authors of a new analysis of 1,300 clinical trials and over 1,100 clinical trial publications, all racial and ethnic representation in obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) research is suboptimal.
Clinical trials and scientific publications both inform how medical professionals provide clinical care, but the authors of the report write that homogeneous, non-representative research can harm OB-GYN care.
“We know that reporting and representation of race and ethnicity in research are critical components of health equity, public health, and social justice,” said lead study author Jecca Steinberg in a press release. Steinberg is a medical resident at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in the department of obstetrics and gynecology.
Trials on obstetric and family planning were the most diverse of all the subspecialties examined, and the authors suggested that they could serve as a model for the field. However, gynecology studies were significantly less likely than obstetrics studies to report race and ethnicity data.
Fifty percent of the clinical trials included in the study reported race and ethnicity data, and three-quarters of the publications did as well. The study included trials conducted between 2007 and 2020, as well as publications from 2007 to 2021.
Although American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black, and Latina groups were underrepresented in trials and publications, the degree of underrepresentation varied according to subspecialty, funder, race, and ethnicity.
Precautionary Measures
Psychiatrist Ravi Shah offered some tips on how to mentally prepare for social and family gatherings. Plan what you’ll do if someone becomes ill.
Shah recommends following CDC guidelines and developing a plan for how and where members of your party can isolate if they develop symptoms or test positive, as well as a quarantine plan for people who have been exposed.
If someone is unable to fully participate, this plan could include alternate or adapted activities. If there is a safe way to gather outdoors and at a distance, that could be a good option.
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