The emergency contraceptive Plan B will be available without a prescription to girls of all ages within the next 30 days, as ordered in an April 5 ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Korman. Currently, a prescription is required for girls younger than 17. Anna Higgins, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, believes that allowing young girls to purchase this drug over the counter seriously compromises their health.
Higgins cites CDC statistics that show a large number of young people contract sexually transmitted diseases as evidence that bypassing a medical exam is not in the best interest of young women.
“Making Plan B available over-the-counter for any age will put many of these young girls at further risk because it circumvents necessary medical screening for sexually active girls.” — Anna Higgins, Family Research Council
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that girls begin seeing a gynecologist between the ages of 13 and 15.
Plan B, often called the morning after pill, can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72-hours after engaging in unprotected sex. The drug uses hormones similar to those found in birth control pills to delay ovulation. It was initially approved by the FDA for use by all ages without a prescription, but in 2011 Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius over-ruled the FDA and kept the prescription requirement for those younger than age 17. Sebelius cited the lack of data available concerning label comprehension among girls age 16 and younger as a reason to keep the drug available to these girls by prescription only.
Judge Korman ordered the FDA to lift this restriction, noting that the drug is one of the safest drugs available and there is no medical reason to place restrictions on its availability.
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