Does a new Tennessee law ban Plan B?

Jackson, TN. (WNBJ)-

This tweet stating that Tennessee had banned Plan B and made it a punishable crime of up to $50,000 went viral this week. Many took to social media to express their outrage. But this tweet is inaccurate. House bill 2416 does not ban Plan B, or abortion pills. However, it does increase the penalty for sending people in Tennessee abortion medication by mail. But what’s the difference between plan b and an abortion pill? Kim Mayer (Birth Choice Director of Nursing) informed us that, “plan b is a high dose progesterone that’s sold over the counter anywhere. Kroger, Walmart, Walgreens. It is meant to be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

Nursing Director at Birth Choice Kim Mayer told me plan b does not terminate pregnancy. This pill is prevention method to be used up to 2 days after unprotected sex. Kim Mayer (Birth Choice Director of Nursing) stated, “the abortion pill ru486. The limit on it is supposed be 10 weeks. Gestation period, that’s changed a little bit under this current administration.”

Mayer say’s receiving abortion pills through the mail can be extremely dangerous for women to take, especially without visiting their physician. Kim Mayer (Birth Choice Director of Nursing) explained, “the problem with getting abortion pills through the mail is you don’t know if you have a live baby in your uterus. The baby might be some place else like an ectopic. In your fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix, some place besides the uterus, and the abortion drug would not take care of that problem.”

Nearly two dozen states are poised to ban abortion outright should the landmark decision - be overturned by the supreme court. Elizabeth Nash from the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research organization says laws like these could lead to stricter laws in the future. Elizabeth Nash (Guttmacher Institute) emphasized, “These states have been building restriction after restriction for decades and now they've turned that into ban after ban."

Makayla Davis

mdavis@nbc39tv.com