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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Age Restriction On Morning-After Pill Will Not Be Lifted

By: The Associated Press

The nation’s health secretary says young teenagers cannot buy the Plan B morning-after pill without a prescription – a surprise move overruling her own experts, who were preparing to let it be sold on drugstore shelves like condoms.

The pill can prevent pregnancy if taken soon enough after unprotected sex. Currently, only those 17 or older can buy Plan B One-Step without a prescription, if they show a pharmacist proof of age.

The Food and Drug Administration was preparing to lift that age limit and let the emergency contraceptive be sold over the counter to anyone. But Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled the agency, saying she was concerned that very young girls couldn’t properly understand how to use it without guidance from an adult.

Guest:

  • Deborah Kotz, Boston Globe reporter 
Other stories from Wednesday's show

We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

  • Frederick Dove

    Am I the only person who does not shop at  Wall Mart and never plan on entering any of their stores? I don’t support using slave labor for anything! I’m very proud of my position.

  • Home Building

    Please, Robin, when ANYONE refers to any medication as “perfectly safe,” do reach over and grab then by the short hairs!  There really is no such thing.  In the case of Plan B and any other form of abortifacients, the hormonal shock to any woman is substantial.  “Success” over 99% is still not risk free, especially to the young who know far less about their bodies than adults.

    • Emily

      Plan B is NOT an abortifacient. It does not cause an abortion. It is a form of emergency contraception that only works when a woman is NOT pregnant.

  • Shopann

    Did I just hear her say that she wouldn’t want her 12 year old walking into a drugstore and buying something that might cause nausea? Strikes me that that is a 12 year old with bigger problems than nausea, whose parents should consider exercising their parental judgment earlier in the process.

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