U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman ruled on the Monday that the FDA must make the emergency contraceptive pill, Plan B, available to 17 year olds over the counter, and to reconsider whether or not it should be available to women of any age without a prescription.
In his ruling, Judge Korman repeatedly criticized the FDA for being influenced by the “political and ideological” agenda of the Bush administration, as the age restriction had no scientific merit.
We are hopeful that this puts us one step closer to improving access to EC for all women!
Judge Korman wrote in his decision: (quoted from the Washington Post)
“These political considerations, delays and implausible justifications for decision-making are not the only evidence of a lack of good faith and reasoned agency decision-making. […] Indeed, the record is clear that the FDA’s course of conduct regarding Plan B departed in significant ways from the agency’s normal procedures regarding similar applications to switch a drug from prescription to non-prescription use,”
Emergency contraception lowers the risk of getting pregnant when contraceptives have failed, or when no contraceptives were use. It does not protect against sexually transmitted infections. If a woman takes Plan B within 3 days, the risk of pregnancy is lowered 75%-89%.
Learn more about emergency contraception
from NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts.
during my prep period at school. Our sexually active females need easily accessible alternatives, so I was so pleased to see common sense prevail. Finally, the last vestiges of Bushco and it’s womb-obsessed policies are kicked to the curb. Who can calculate the number of “saved” lives here? This is stuff to make one verklempt.
Here is a link to where one can find EC in Massachusetts without a prescription: http://www.massecnetwork.org/w…
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p>This is useful information for those who work in this area of health, with at-risk populations or with young women.
I’ll pass it along.
The less prepared a woman or girl is to carry a baby to term, the fewer alternatives to that are available to her. Seems odd.
It seems, especially since it is possible to rape a minor, that on the merits this should be available as quickly and with as few strings attached as possible. However, it does seems that policy makers would be within their legal rights to restrict by age just as we restrict other things. In no case can it be argued that someone is automatically ready for something when they reach the magic birthdate when they weren’t before, whether it be driving, drinking, smoking, voting, etc.
to be mothers, in every legal sense, irrespective of age, if they give birth to a child. A 15 y.o. girl needs parental permission to have a sore throat treated by a medical professional but does not need parental permission to see an OB and receive prenatal and post-natal care. Indeed a 12 y.o. female is legally entirely responsible for any decisions to be made about her baby’s treatment or health.
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p>Teenage girls who have sex are perfectly capable of deciding for themselves whether to use Plan B or some other contraceptive.