One year ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter status for emergency contraception for women 18 and older. Emergency contraception is backup birth control that can prevent pregnancy after sexual assault, contraceptive failure or other unprotected intercourse.

It also is known as the "morning-after pill" or emergency birth control.

Despite its enormous potential, anti-choice groups oppose the use of emergency contraception. In order to hinder women's access to this important method of contraception, they falsely claim that emergency contraception is an abortifacient, and they disseminate other misinformation about its safety and efficacy.

The bottom line is that prevention is the key to reducing the number of unintended pregnancies and in turn the number of abortions.

Planned Parenthood encourages parents, politicians, educators and health-care providers to link arms and support access to proven prevention measures like access to birth control, including emergency contraception.