“Emergency Contraception” (Morning After Pill)
“Emergency Contraception” (Morning After Pill)
“Emergency contraception” refers to chemicals, drugs, or devices (usually the hormonal drugs ulipristal or levonorgestrel) that are ingested or inserted after intercourse and prior to the recognition of pregnancy with the goal of preventing a recognizable pregnancy. The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) opposes the use of so-called ”emergency contraceptives” (EC) in adolescent patients for the reasons discussed below.1
All human life begins at fertilization and deserves protection.2 EC acts primarily through interfering with the tubal transport and uterine implantation of the embryo resulting in the embryo’s immediate, or, through ectopic pregnancy, delayed death.
Increased use of EC in society has not been shown to reduce overall the rates of
pregnancy or abortion. In addition, there are several unintended harmful consequences. Studies show that the rate of sexually transmitted infections increase when EC is more easily available. This is consistent with an increase in risky sexual practices. This potentially leads to increased risks of death, cancer, and infertility.
The use of EC may undermine needed parental involvement. The pre-frontal cortex of the brain which is responsible for judgment and overriding purely emotional decisions is not mature until the mid-twenties. Adolescents need the guidance of their parents. If parents do not know that their children are sexually active, engaging in other high-risk activities, or facing life-affecting decisions, they cannot give their children the guidance they desperately need.
Also, cases of sexual assault and sex trafficking may be obscured and unrecognized. Perpetrators may obtain these pills without restriction and force them on their sexual victims. Victims allowed to obtain EC without prescription may also be too embarrassed to seek proper testing and medical treatment for sexually transmitted infections. In both cases, the appropriate legal constraints and needed psychological care after the assault are not provided. This leaves the victim without proper care and allows the perpetrator to continue assaulting other victims.
In addition to opposing the use of EC in adolescents, the College also strongly opposes any laws or regulations requiring physicians to prescribe EC when it violates their conscience.
Approved by the ACPeds Board of Directors (May 2025)
Approved by ACPeds Members (June 2025)
Corresponding ACPeds Referenced Paper:
Emergency Contraception – Not the Best for Adolescents (May 2025)
Other Pertinent ACPeds Referenced Papers:
When Human Life Begins (March 2017)
Encouraging Parent-Adolescent Communication Is Best for Children (September 2020)
