Planned Parenthood writes that the morning-after pill, also known as emergency contraception, is birth control you can use to prevent pregnancy up to five days, or 120 hours, after unprotected sex. On April 5, 2013, the age restriction was lifted on emergency contraception in the United States by a federal judge. This means that now people of all ages will be able to get emergency contraception over the counter, without the need for a prescription, at their local drugstore. Steven Reinberg has reported for HealthDay on April 5, 2013, Judge: Make Morning-After Pill Available to All Females.
A federal judge from the Eastern District of New York has ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to make the so-called "morning-after pill" available to all women, regardless of age. The judge has given the FDA 30 days to remove age restrictions on the sale of emergency contraception, such as Plan B One-Step. Prior to this time, girls 16 and younger needed a doctor's prescription to get the pill, which generally works if taken within 72 hours after intercourse. The judge's decision, which was released on Friday, is the latest step in a 10-year, controversial debate about who should have access to the drug and why.
Although the Obama administration had no immediate comment on the judge's ruling, women's health advocates praised the decision by Judge Edward Korman in Brooklyn. Eric Blankenbaker, a spokesman for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement Friday, "Lifting the age restrictions on over-the-counter emergency contraception is a significant and long-overdue step forward for women's health that will benefit women of all ages." Blankenbaker has also said, "When a woman fears she might become pregnant after her contraceptive has failed or she has had unprotected sex, she needs fast access to emergency contraception, not delays at the pharmacy counter." Planned Parenthood has called the ruling "good policy, good science, and good sense."
