emergency contraception

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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on Monday recommended that doctors talk to their adolescent patients about emergency contraception and offer advance prescriptions of Plan B, also known as the morning-after pill, to girls younger than 17.

Related: Should parents allow teens to have sex at home?

"Despite significant declines over the past two decades, the United States continues to have teen birth rates that are significantly higher than other industrialized nations," reads the group's new policy statement, which will be published in the December issue of the journal "Pediatrics." "Adolescents are more likely to use emergency contraception if it has been prescribed in advance of need."

Related: Parents Punish Teen by Posting Goofy Photos on Her Facebook Page. Epic or Awful?

Susan Wood, the former assistant commissioner for women's health at the Food and Drug Administration, called the AAP decision "significant."

Read on to find out more about this pressing topic.

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's discussing emergency contraception and the morning-after pill.

Here at FitSugar we receive a large volume of questions pertaining to pregnancy and contraception. This week, we're beginning an ongoing series on topics pertaining to women's health and gynecological issues starting with the morning-after pill — including how it works and why and when it can be used. To learn if you're a candidate for this form of contraception, keep on reading.

From the pill to the IUD, there are plenty of hormonal and nonhormonal birth control options. The problem is just about every woman has complications with several of them.

Yes, the male pill has been forever in the works, but I suspect few women would leave that responsibility to anyone but themselves. Still, while the history of birth control is bizarre, its future looks bright, or at least easy. Here are four contraceptives that may soon be available to you.

• Hormonal gel: A topical contraceptive gel, which would be rubbed on the abdomen daily, contains a new type of synthetic progestin called nestorone, and estrogen called estradiol. It could be widely available in five years.
• Annual vaginal ring: It's like the NuvaRing, except it only needs to be replaced once a year; however, women would need to remove it every three weeks to menstruate and then reinsert it. It could be available in two years.
• SILCS diaphragm: A one-size-fits-all diaphragm that's durable and reusable. Unlike existing diaphragms, it does not have to be fitted by a doctor, making it more accessible. It's been in development since 1994, and is expected to go to the FDA for approval this year.
• On-demand contraceptive: Yes, there's the condom, but a hormonal vaginal gel is in the works to put women in control. Unlike the daily gel, this could be applied several hours before intercourse or even afterward as emergency contraception. It's still in the very early stages of development, though, so there's no word on when it will be available.

Do you know Ella? No, it's not the name of a new celebrity or pop singer, but a new emergency contraceptive pill that was just given the thumbs up by the FDA. We heard about the drug when it was introduced in Europe, but now it has made its way to the US. Unlike Plan B, which should be taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex but can be taken up to three days after, Ella can be taken up to five days after. For some other facts about the new drug, keep reading.

A year ago today, the Center For Reproductive Rights won an important victory when a federal court decided the FDA put politics before health by keeping the morning-after pill behind pharmacy counters and enforcing age restrictions so only women 17 and older could purchase it. We thought things would change, but one year later, it's still locked up. Besides the potential embarrassment involved with asking, it creates logistical impediments if the pharmacy is closed though the store is open (often) or if you forget your ID. Because who knew you'd be carded!

To ignite action, the Center For Reproductive Rights put together this video of two bunnies being cute (I guess cute works?) while having a conversation about the FDA's inaction one year later. "Scientists say," says one bunny, "there are no medical reasons to limit access to emergency contraception."

And must Plan B discussions always open with "the condom broke." Of course it happens, but will it ever be acceptable to simply say "I didn't use a condom because I didn't have one"? Not soon enough!

Widespread access to family planning medication can come with some negative side effects. Gynecologists in India are reporting a sharp rise in medical complications, such as excessive bleeding or incomplete abortions, due to women's casual use of over the counter emergency contraception and abortion pills. Doctors say that women commonly look up the dosages on the Internet and then buy the pills themselves, never consulting a doctor. . . until something goes wrong.

Based on anecdotal evidence from doctors and patients, women appear to be increasingly relying on these medications as their first line of contraception. One woman told the Times of India that women turn to the morning after pill because "when you’re with your boyfriend, you don’t want to use condoms." Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned daily birth control pill?

While it's important for women to have access to emergency contraception or the abortion pill, it seems like there are plenty of medical reason to avoid using it as the main form of birth control.

Source: Flickr User gregor_y