Morning-After Pill

Although the Pill and other contraceptives are readily available, many women still have unwanted pregnancies because they neglect--or have no opportunity--to take precautions before intercourse. Now, the Federal Government is acting to provide help in the form of the chemical diethylstilbestrol (DES). Last week the Food and Drug Administration announced that it was in the process of clearing DBS for use as a postcoital contraceptive in certain emergency situations.

The FDA'S action is not unexpected. DES, an estrogen-like substance, has been used for years to prevent pregnancy in women who take it as long as 72 hours after intercourse; it has proved an effective "morning-after" pill in tests with 1,000 University of Michigan coeds (TIME, Nov. 8, 1971). The drug has also been prescribed during pregnancy to prevent miscarriage. But, used that way, it may be dangerous. Doctors have found a high incidence of vaginal cancers in the teen-age daughters of women who took the drug. The use of DBS as a growth hormone in cattle feeds was banned by the FDA last summer after it was found that it could produce cancer in some animals.

The FDA is aware of these hazards. It cautions against regular use of the drug as a contraceptive. It also limits the use of DBS to pregnancies resulting from rape, incest, and other situations that doctors may consider emergencies.

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