The Oregon Senate on Tuesday approved 22-6 a bill (SB 849) that would allow emergency contraception to be sold without a doctor's prescription, the AP/Corvallis Gazette-Times reports. The measure would allow women in the state to obtain EC, which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse, from trained pharmacists. Pharmacists who oppose EC for moral or religious reasons would be exempt from dispensing the pills. Supporters of the bill said allowing EC to be sold without a doctor's prescription would help prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce the number of abortions in the state. Opponents of the measure say that easier access to EC would encourage promiscuity and result in a higher incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, according to the AP/Gazette-Times. Six other states allow EC to be accessed without a doctor's prescription (AP/Corvallis Gazette-Times, 5/18).