Government Mulling Decision to Allow Minors to Buy Morning After Pill

The US government, via the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering changing the requirement that minors obtain a proscription for the Morning After Pill, known as Plan B by its maker Teva Pharmaceuticals, before being able to purchase the pill, which some have called "emergency contraception" and others, the "abortion pill." The Washington Post is reporting that Teva has been lobbying the FDA for such approval for months.

Plan B, if taken within 72 hours of a sexual encounter drastically reduces the chances of pregnancy, and women's rights groups have been calling for it to be made available to all women without a note from their doctor. Currently, only those 18 and older can buy it without a prescription, and even then, it's kept behind a counter, meaning women that want it, have to ask for it.

If the FDA goes along with Teva's request, anyone with the cash to pay for the drug can buy it, as not only would the age requirement be removed, but so too would the rule that says that it has to be kept behind a counter; a move that many women will applaud as many have suggested that forcing women to ask for it is not only demeaning, but likely causes many to resist doing so out of embarrassment. It's also conceivable, some suggest, that more men will buy the pill to have it on hand in case of an emergency, or to spare their partner the embarrassment of having to do so herself.

One of the reason's the FDA is likely to approve the change is because Plan B has been used for a long enough period to convince the medical establishment that it doesn't harm women of any age, and thus, there is no need to require a prescription for it to be purchased.

If the FDA does decide to remove the prescription requirement, there will likely be a new media storm as pro-choice advocates debate with pro-life advocates the moral issues regarding the use of a pill that some see as killing an unborn child and others see as extension of a personal human right.

In either case, it's likely a change in the rules regarding Plan B will have an actual social impact as well, as many predict that a lot of women will cease using regular birth control pills, and rely instead on a pill they only need to take once, and that is after the fact, something many may find cheaper and more convenient.