UHS offers latest pill for birth control

By ERIN BUECHEL
Collegian Staff Writer

The new "morning-after" pill, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in September, lies somewhere between traditional birth control pills and condoms.

Known as the Preven Emergency Contraception Kit, it is now being marketed by Gynetics Inc. of New Jersey. University Health Services began offering the kits in early January, said Shelley Haffner, supervisor of the women's health department at UHS.

"Preven is definitely beneficial because kids will make mistakes and condoms are not infallible. They will break," said Sherry Robison, manager of Family Health Services Inc., 426 S. Allen St.

Preven works by preventing the ovaries from releasing eggs and limiting the chance for an egg and sperm to join, Haffner said. The pill also changes the uterine lining and makes it impossible for the egg to attach to the uterus.

Preven is actually a very strong dose of a combination of female hormones, she said.

"It was recently approved, but many doctors have been prescribing higher doses of birth control for the same purpose," said Dr. Michelle Manting-Brewer of the State College Ob-Gyn Alternatives, 611 University Drive.

The pills are packaged with a pregnancy test women are told to take. They take the first two pills immediately, Haffner said, and 12 hours later, they take the last two pills.

To be effective, Preven must be taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex and only should be used in emergencies, she said.

"Our goal is for women to be using birth control from their first sexual experiences, but the more informed women become of contraception options, the more educated decisions will be made," Haffner said.

Preven is only 74 percent effective if taken within the 72-hour period and all the directions are followed, according to the Food and Drug Administration's World Wide Web site (www.fda.gov).

"Preven doesn't prevent all pregnancies and girls need to be aware of the fact that they may have to interrupt the pregnancy if they take these pills and find themselves pregnant anyway," Manting-Brewer said.

Preven does not protect women against sexually transmitted diseases or induce abortion and it is not the same as the French-approved RU-486 abortion pill.

Both Robison and Manting-Brewer stressed no one should double the dosage of normal birth control pills to prevent pregnancy.

Haffner, Robison and Manting-Brewer also said there are side effects that commonly accompany the "morning-after" pills.

"Of course, you're taking a much higher dosage of hormones and that usually leads to nausea," Manting-Brewer said.

But, as with every form of birth control, there are more severe side effects to consider, such as blood clots, stroke and heart attack.

"It's very scary for a girl who is potentially pregnant to just pick up the package. A lot of people don't even know how to take a pregnancy test properly. Girls need a place they can go for guidance," Robison said.

Family Health Services and Ritenour both offer Preven as well as information and options.

If needed, information about the "morning-after" pill can be obtained by setting up an appointment with the Women's Health Services at Ritenour, Haffner said. The woman will be examined because she may be at risk for STD's, and pills then can be prescribed.