The decision late last week by Pentagon officials to require U.S. bases around the world to provide emergency contraception -- the morning-after pill -- is a wise one. It brings the military in line with established policy in the civilian world. The Federal Drug Administration approved the sale of the over-the-counter drug about four years ago.
Though a date for implementing the new regulation has not been set, the Pentagon order is expected to take effect relatively quickly. The decision, which reverses long-standing policy, came after an independent panel of doctors and pharmacists recommended late last year that the emergency contraceptive should be added to the list of medications the Pentagon requires to be stocked at each of its facilities.
There's little reason to delay implementation, though some activist would like the Pentagon to do so. The new policy certainly will draw protests from the same pro-life factions activists that vociferously opposed the over-the-counter sale of the medication in civilian pharmacies.
The groups, which argue incorrectly that the morning-after pill is the same as an abortion pill, found some success during the George W. Bush administration years. Then, White House and regulatory officials supportive of their cause managed to mix politics and science to a point that it delayed the general use of the pill for several years. That argument will find little traction this time around.
Morning-after pills -- including Plan B, a brand-name product, and similar generic pills -- have been used successfully for several years with little problem. The argument that such contraceptives are abortion pills also has been pretty much debunked. The morning-after pill -- actually a high-dose of birth control pills taken within a short time-frame after unprotected sex -- prevents pregnancy by blocking ovulation or fertilization. The contraceptive does not work if pregnancy already has occurred.
Arguments to the contrary are emotional rather than scientific. Extending the sales of the emergency contraceptive to military personnel is a sensible decision that puts health ahead of politics.
That, however, should not be taken as license or approval of irresponsible sexual activity. The morning-after pill is not a panacea. It has limitations. The emergency contraceptive serves a limited purpose, and it does not protect from sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or human palpilloma viruses that unfortunately remain widespread in both military and civilian life.
The soon-to-be available drug also should not relieve military counselors, officers, NCOs and others of the responsibility to remind their charges of the perils of thoughtless and promiscuous sexual activity. Regardless, the medication is a legal and useful pharmaceutical product, and its use should not be barred by the Pentagon simply for punitive philosophical reasons.
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