FDA Approves Sale of Morning After Pill to Teens, Putting Them At Risk

The Food and Drug Administration has announced that it has approved the sale of the Plan B “morning after pill” (also known as “emergency contraception” or EC) for sale to teens as young as 15 without a prescription.

The announcement is troubling on many levels. Jacqueline Harvey of Reproductive Research Audit documents the risks to women and girls: (1) selling EC over the counter makes it more difficult to protect and care for teens who may be victims of sexual assault or abuse; (2) EC does not reduce teen pregnancy rates, but does increase the rates of sexually-transmitted diseases among teens; (3) selling EC over the counter promotes risky sexual behavior among women and teens, especially among younger girls; and (4) easy availability of EC makes it more likely that users will abuse the drug, leading to potential health risks for teens and women.

Read Dr. Harvey’s analysis here.

Update:

Download Dr. Harvey’s full report (with complete citations) on EC here.

The American College of Pediatricians has also released a statement opposing the sale of EC over the counter to teens.

Learn more:
The Best Kept (Ugly Little) Secret in America: The Lies and Distortions Behind the Push for the Morning After Pill