In
honor of the Back Up Your Birth Control with Emergency Contraception (EC)
Campaign, Pharmacy Access
Partnership (a center of the Pacific
Institute for Women’s Health) and Rewire teamed up to
launch an essay contest open to young people 14-24 years of age. Emergency contraception
(also called the "morning-after" pill even though it’s actually two
pills taken 12 hours apart) is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy
after you’ve had unprotected, unintended or unwanted sex. Building on
our theme of "Got
Plan B?
Why access to Plan B emergency
contraception is important," we asked
authors to answer the following questions: What do you think are the most
important issues related to emergency contraception/Plan B for young women?
Would you like to see greater education and access to information so more young
women know what Plan B is and how to access it? Do you want to advocate for the
right to access Plan B? We’re pleased to present the winning piece
by 14-year old Nikki from Champaign, Illinois. Congratulations, Nikki,
and keep up the good work! For more information on Plan B, visit www.pharmacyaccess.org.

Nikki, 14 years old, writes:

Many women don’t understand the importance of
the "morning after pill." It’s not so that you can do what you want
when you want. It’s for that time that something goes horribly wrong. Some
people think that EC is a horrible thing, yet what if a horrible thing
happened to you? What if you were raped by a man you didn’t know, and ended up
pregnant? Would you want to keep the baby? What if you had a disease, and there
was a chance that the baby could get it too? Would you want your child to grow
up in either situation? In one, be normal, yet have no idea who her father is?
Or in the other, have a child who couldn’t do the things a mother would hope to
watch? Your child may never walk, or never talk. The pill should be used in
those cases where something horrible has happened. Yes, it is true that not all
are using it in the "correct manner." But should those people keep
those who truly need it, those who would never think to use it unless something
bad were to happen, from using it? No, they should not. If you still disagree –
just think, what if it were you?

For more information on Plan B, visit the web
site of The Pharmacy Access Partnership.