Over-the-counter emergency contraception is now available for all! Today, the federal district court overturned the Obama administration’s age restrictions forbidding women under the age of 17 from purchasing over-the-counter emergency contraception without a prescription.
Judge Edward Korman of the District Court of Eastern New York has directed the FDA to lift the ban within 30 days, describing the previous restriction as “a strong showing of bad faith and improper political influence,” and citing Plan B as “among the safest drugs sold over the counter.
Following the American Academy of Pediatrics’ support of Plan B access for young women last fall, this new change allows women of all ages to purchase Plan B over the counter without a required prescription and is definitely a progressive move for women’s sexual health rights.
Source: Washington Post, Think Progress