Sex. Celebrity. Politics. With Teeth
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Sex. Celebrity. Politics. With Teeth

This Handy Video Explains How Plan B Works and Why It's Not an 'Abortion Pill'

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Emergency contraception, also known as Plan B, cannot cause an abortion. Yet, religious employers still claim that they shouldn't have to cover it for exactly that reason and high-profile Republicans like Mitt Romney (ha, remember him?) refer to emergency contraception as "abortive pills." Even the Associated Press has confused Plan B with RU-486, which actually does induce abortion. How can we stop this game of anti-abortion telephone?

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Maybe with this super simple (and colorful!) explainer video from ASAPScience that details exactly how emergency contraception works. Now, next time someone you know claims that Plan B kills [insert overwrought anti-choice term for an embryo here], show them this video that clearly explains exactly how emergency contraception prevents pregnancy before fertilization and that it does not stop implantation from happening and it doesn't have any effect after implantation occurs. Therefore, it doesn't cause abortions. Repeat after us: it doesn't cause abortions!

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The video also reiterates that emergency contraception is safe for women of all ages and that the benefits far outweigh the risks — which is why even the American Academy of Pediatrics thinks teens should have unrestricted access to Plan B.