FDA SAYS PILL AFTER SEX CAN PREVENT PREGNANCY.

Byline: Associated Press 

In a move hailed as unveiling the best-kept secret of women's health care, government scientists Friday declared high doses of ordinary birth control pills taken soon after sex a good way to prevent pregnancy.

Some women's advocates applauded as scientific advisers to the Food and Drug Administration unanimously voted that the pills are safe and effective.

``The FDA is finally giving emergency contraception the attention it deserves,'' said Charlotte Ellertson of the nonprofit Population Council.

But the largest contraceptive manufacturer said it will not sell ``morning-after'' pills in the United States for fear of lawsuits - even though it does sell them abroad - and some abortion foes were opposed to the pills.

Now the FDA, debating how to spread information about emergency contraception, must figure out a next step.

In at least six other countries, women who are raped, whose birth control fails or who just forget in the heat of the moment are routinely prescribed high doses of birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. They're even sold specially packaged to have on hand in case of emergency.

The same pills are sold here as birth control, but are not marketed as ``morning-after'' pills - and no company has even asked for FDA permission to do so - because of legal and political fears.

Consequently, while it is legal for doctors to prescribe the Pill for emergency use, few know what doses to use and half of women who could benefit don't even know to request them, surveys show.

Yet emergency contraception could prevent 1 million unplanned pregnancies a year, said Janet Benshoof of the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy.

The FDA called together reproductive health specialists Friday to determine whether or not scientists have proved emergency contraception works.

If 100 women have unprotected sex in the second or third week of their menstrual cycle, the time closest to ovulation, eight will get pregnant, Dr. James Trussell of Princeton University told the FDA advisers.

But with the so-called ``morning-after pill'' - although it can be taken up to 72 hours after sex - only two will get pregnant, he said.

The panel agreed that emergency contraception is effective 75 percent of the time.

Armed with that decision, the FDA has several choices: Encourage pill makers or their generic competition to market emergency contraception; publicize the proper doses so doctors can better prescribe them; or, as women's groups want, force manufacturers to add the doses to existing pill labels, a choice that makes the FDA uncomfortable.

``We don't want to turn up the heat'' on pill makers, FDA Deputy Commissioner Mary Pendergast said Friday. But, ``we take seriously our obligation to not just protect the public health, but promote it.''