The overturn of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Alabama to begin enforcing a 2019 law that makes elective abortions illegal. But what about morning-after pills, like Plan B? Are they still legal in Alabama?
The short answer, according to state officials, is yes.
Mike Lewis, a spokesman for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office, said that the most common morning-after pills, designed to be taken after sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy, are not prohibited by current Alabama law.
“The morning after pill, Plan B, and similar medications are generally used as contraceptives and are indicated for use before a woman is capable of knowing she is pregnant,” Lewis said via email. “Standard use of these medications is not prohibited by the Alabama Human Life Protection Act.”
But that doesn’t mean all drugs that can terminate a pregnancy are in the clear in Alabama.
“Medication abortion drugs like RU-486, however, are prohibited by the Act,” Lewis said.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the morning-after pills work by “delaying or preventing ovulation,” whereas a drug like RU-486 “terminates an established pregnancy — one in which the fertilized egg has attached to the uterine wall and has begun to develop.”
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Nationwide, in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, consumers have been rushing to stock up on these morning-after pills and some pharmacies, including CVS and Rite Aid, have limited the amount that customers can buy.
These pills can be taken up to five days after unprotected sex to try to prevent a pregnancy, depending on the brand, though most manufacturers say the drug is more effective the sooner it is taken after sex.
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