Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
The Justice Department announced on Monday that it will allow the most popular morning after pill, Plan B, to be available over the counter to women of all ages, dropping its appeal of a federal court order. Obama Administration To End Age Restrictions On Plan B:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a statement that it
has “asked the manufacturer of Plan B One-Step to submit a supplemental
application seeking approval of the one-pill product to be made
available O.T.C. without any such restrictions” and “intends to approve
it promptly.” Generic versions may also be eventually approved. The
morning after pill prevents conception “if taken within 72 hours after sexual intercourse.”
The decision comes after a federal judge in April ordered the FDA to
lift restrictions on the morning-after pill. The administration
responded to the ruling by lowering the age restriction from 17 to 15,
sparking the ire of health groups and district Judge Edward Korman,
who, in a series of contemptuous opinions, called the administration’s
defiance an insult to the intelligence of women” and “a charade” meant to stall his original order. Last week, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ordered
the administration to make two-pill versions of emergency contraception
immediately available over the counter to women of all ages.
Women’s health groups embraced the administrations’ decision on
Monday, calling it a “huge breakthrough for access to birth control and a
historic moment for women’s health and equity.” “The FDA’s decision
will make emergency contraception available on store shelves, just like
condoms, and women of all ages will be able to get it quickly in order
to prevent unintended pregnancy,” Planned Parenthood Federation of
America president Cecile Richards said in a statement.
Medical experts
have consistently argued that the administration’s arbitrary age limits
have no basis in scientific research, as multiple studies have found
Plan B to be safer than aspirin for all ages.
And the right-wing anti-abortion zealots' heads 'splode! "Abstinence only!"
h/t Think Progress