PLAN B
Plan B One-Step
Emergency "Contraception"
What is Plan B?
Plan B One-Step (commonly referred to as “Plan B”) is touted as an emergency contraceptive intended to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure (e.g., a broken condom). It is most effective when taken within 72 hours of intercourse, though effectiveness diminishes with time.
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Brand name: Plan B One-Step
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Generic names: Levonorgestrel
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Form: 1.5 mg oral tablet
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FDA approved: Yes
Active Ingredient and Mechanism of Action
Active ingredient: Levonorgestrel (a synthetic progestin)
Primary Functions (according to FDA labeling):
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Inhibits or delays ovulation. The drug’s primary mechanism is to stop the release of an egg from the ovary.
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Alters cervical mucus. Makes it harder for sperm to reach the egg by thickening cervical mucus.
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May alter the endometrium (uterine lining). This potential effect could prevent implantation of a fertilized egg.
“Plan B may inhibit implantation by altering the endometrium” – FDA Drug Label
Why Plan B Is Harmful
From a pro-life standpoint, human life begins at fertilization (the moment when sperm and egg fuse to form a new human zygote). Based on this premise, any intentional action that ends the life of a fertilized egg—even prior to implantation—is morally problematic.
Potential Abortifacient Effect
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While Plan B’s primary mechanism is to prevent ovulation, its secondary mechanisms could interfere with the implantation of a fertilized egg.
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If fertilization has already occurred (which cannot be ruled out with post-intercourse use), and the drug prevents implantation, this is considered by pro-lifers to be the destruction of nascent human life.
“Preventing implantation of a human embryo is not contraception—it is abortion.” — American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Ethical Concerns Over Uncertainty
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Even if the likelihood of preventing implantation is low, the ambiguity of its mechanism is ethically significant from a pro-life viewpoint.
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Pro-life ethicists argue that using a drug with any risk of destroying human life (even at the embryonic stage) cannot be morally justified.
Undermining Respect for Human Life
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Regular use or promotion of Plan B may reinforce the notion that early human life is expendable, contributing to a broader “contraceptive mindset” that views human embryos as morally inconsequential.
Summary of Pro-Life Ethical Objections
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Moral status of the embryo: A fertilized egg is a human being with moral worth.
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Potential for embryonic destruction: Plan B may prevent implantation, which ends the life of an embryo.
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Ethical principle of precaution: If there's even a reasonable chance that life is at stake, actions should protect it.
Citations & Resources
