I would like to express my concern about the manner in which Plan B was presented in Wednesday’s article “Pregnancy at Yale: What’s a girl to do if contraception fails?” (Feb. 25). In this article the author describes how one individual decided to self-administer numerous birth control pills instead of using Plan B after “learning that Plan B contains the same hormone as regular birth control.” I think the inclusion of this information without a qualifying statement that addresses the validity of this assumption and the possible danger of her actions is irresponsible given the number of women on this campus who have utilized Plan B for emergency contraception.

Yes, Plan B is a high dose of Levonorgestrel, a synthetic progestogen like those used in many birth control pills, but the synthetic forms of this hormone are different in every birth control pill. The FDA drug approval process takes about eight years from initial animal testing until the pharmaceutical reaches the hands of the general public. Other synthetic forms of this hormone have not gone through this process; they have not been proven effective for preventing pregnancy, nor have they been proven safe for consumption.

The News needs to recognize the influence it could potentially have on the health behaviors of students. A cavalier reporting style that does not include interviews with medical professionals or references to scientific information, but presents possibly dangerous role models, is not a judicious manner in which to use that influence.

Maggie Gray

Feb. 25

The writer is a sophomore in Davenport College.