Plan B "Morning After" Pill Will Soon Be Available to 17 Year Olds

When Plan B, the "morning after" emergency contraceptive drug, was approved for behind-the-counter sales to adults 18 and older in the U.S. in August 2006, it was only a half-victory for reproductive rights advocates.

The drug manufacturer had applied to the Food and Drug Administration three times previously for the right to sell non-prescription Plan B: first to women of all ages, second to those 16 and older, and third to those 17 and older. Each time the FDA refused the application, "despite nearly uniform agreement among FDA scientific review staff that women of all ages could use Plan B without a prescription safely and effectively."

Time for a Change
Today, in compliance with a court order, the FDA is lowering the age of Plan B over-the-counter sales from 18 to 17 years of age.

It's about time. Plan B and other emergency contraception drugs have long been available without a prescription and without age limits in many other parts of the world, including nearly all major industrialized nations.

FDA "Arbitrary and Capricious"
U.S. District Judge Edward Korman of New York, who issued the court order on March 23, 2009, stated that the FDA's decisions regarding Plan B were "arbitrary and capricious" and noted that the FDA Commissioner, "at the behest of political actors - decided to deny non-prescription access to women 16 and younger before FDA scientific review staff had completed their reviews."

Another Tool to Curb Teen Pregnancy
Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, applauded the change:

...the FDA [decision] is a strong statement to American women that their health comes before politics...This decision is commonsense policy that will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and protect the health and safety of all women. The US has the highest rate of teen pregnancy among the most developed countries in the world. Providing birth control, including emergency birth control, to young women helps them make responsible decisions and avoid unintended pregnancy.

See also:

• FDA Lowers Age Limit for Plan B Contraceptive
• Plan B - the Morning After Pill
• FDA Approves Behind-the-Counter Plan B for Adults
• Teen Pregnancy in the U.S.

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