Wednesday, April 22, 2009
FDA Approves Access to Emergency Contraception for 17-Year-Olds
NY Times: 'Morning After' Pill Cleared for 17-Year-Olds, by Gardiner Harris:
The decision on Wednesday by the Food and Drug Administration, which overturns one of the most controversial health rulings of the Bush administration, was scorned by anti-abortion advocates and hailed by their abortion rights counterparts.
The long-running controversy involving Plan B has had more of a political impact than a public health one. The drug consists of two pills that can prevent conception if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse, and is not related to RU-486, the abortion pill. Since 2006, when Plan B became widely available to women 18 and over without a prescription, it has had no measurable effect on the nation’s abortion or teenage pregnancy rates.
Like their older counterparts, 17-year-old women will now be able to go to almost any pharmacy, clinic or hospital and, after showing proof of age, buy Plan B without a prescription. Men 17 and older may also buy Plan B for a partner.
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/reproductive_rights/2009/04/fda-expands-access-to-emergency-contraception-for-17yearolds.html