The next edition of the “MTSU On the Record” radio program will look at the accessibility of emergency birth control.

Dr. Karen Mulligan

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. Karen Mulligan, an associate professor of economics, first aired May 18 on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org ). You can listen to their conversation here.

Mulligan’s study, published in the academic journal “Health Economics,” analyzed the impact of the Food and Drug Administration’s 2006 decision to make emergency birth control, sometimes referred to as the “morning-after pill,” accessible over the counter.

Using statistics from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and state health databases, Mulligan analyzed the impact of readily available morning-after pills on abortion rates and sexually transmittable diseases.

“Obviously, when I set out to do this, I was very agnostic,” said Mulligan. “I didn’t have any expectations … and the main finding is that, as a result of providing over-the-counter access to emergency birth control, the STD rates are increasing. And this is for all age groups. We don’t see any impact on abortion rates.”

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, visit the searchable “Audio Clips” archives here.

For more information about “MTSU On the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

A video clip of the interview is available below.