Brooklyn Judge: Morning-after Pill, Plan B, Should Be Available to 17-year-olds Without Prescription
BY John Marzulli
Daily News staff writer
A judge has ruled that 17-year-olds should be able to get the morning-after pill without a presription - and ordered the feds to consider expanding access to women of all ages.
Before Monday's decision, the the FDA had agreed to make the emergency contraceptive known as Plan B available without a prescription to women over 18 and only from a pharmacy counter.
The Center for Reproductive Rights filed suit in Brooklyn Federal Court, charging the Food and Drug Administration put politics before science in drafting the rules.
In his written decision, Judge Edward Korman noted there appeared to be "political considerations, delays and implausible justifications" in the decision-making process.
"The record shows that FDA officials and staff both agreed that 17-year-olds can use Plan B safely without a prescription," Korman wrote.
Nancy Northrup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, hailed the ruling.
"We are one step closer to making it fully available to all women, including young women for whom the barriers and benefits are so great," Northrup said.
One plaintiff in the suit demanded Plan B should be available for her 13-year-old daughter.
A spokesman for the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's office, which represented the FDA in the suit, said the ruling is being reviewed.
Reader Comments
Missing the issue
Its true that taken improperly you can hurt your self; however the same can be said of Tylenol. As far as considering the political and emotional ramifications of abortion Plan B decreases the probability of abortion. (cause if your not pregnant you cant have an abortion) . Plan B is not an abortion pill. If you are pregnant plan B can't do anything for you. It decreases the chance of pregnancy if taken within a fairly narrow window. Its not as effective as birth control pills or using a condom. No one would have sex with the intionon of taking Plan B after its for emergencies (hence the name)
Excuse me! The "Right-wing Christian extremists" are taking women's well-being into account!
I can bet you, Mr. thebob.bob, that you haven't even researched the negative effects of the morning-after pill!!! Plus, I'm betting that you are a man; so, you have no idea the awful repercussions that women who commit an abortion go through! Well guess what; through personal experience, I DO! So before you go passing ignorant judgments, do your homework!
-Despite the claims of the (Plan B) morning-after pill's producers, it has not had long-term research done on it in order to determine whether it is even safe for women to take.
-It can destroy parts of the reproductive system, keeping the woman from ever being able to have a baby.
-As an abortifacient, a woman will experience serious depression after taking the pill, just like those who have had other forms of abortion. Of course, the doctors who give abortions won't tell you this because they want your money.
And by the way, the "religious whackos" are the ones who created our great nation. Once again, you need to do your homework instead of sleeping through history class. It's because of shallow people like you, who have no sense of morals, that the crime rate in America is at the highest its ever been and that the value of personal responsibility and hard work is virtually extinct!
This is NUTS!
So who is responsible when side effects or over-dosing cause problems due to these medications being available to anyone without a prescription? Does Planned Parenthood agree to indemnify the manufacturers? - Perhpas the Judge will? Right - NOT!
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