ofpaperandponies:

thenewrepublic:

In matters of women’s health, has politics trumped science?

In a surprise move, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stopped the Plan B morning-after pill from moving onto drugstore shelves, deciding Wednesday that young girls shouldn’t be able to buy it on their own.

The Food and Drug Administration was preparing to make Plan B One-Step the nation’s first over-the-counter emergency contraceptive, available for purchase by people of any age without a prescription.

Plan B instead will remain behind the pharmacy counter, as it is sold today — available without a prescription only for those 17 and older who show an ID proving their age.

Sebelius’ reason: Some girls as young as 11 are physically capable of bearing children, and Plan B’s maker didn’t prove that younger girls could properly understand how to use this product without guidance from an adult.

Should young girls be required to obtain a prescription in the 72 hours allotted before the morning-after-pill becomes ineffective?

Courtesy of the New York Times.

I don’t think that keeping it behind the counter is a bad thing (so long as the pharmacist is required to dispense it, and not be discriminatory about it), but people should be allowed to buy it no matter their age. I mean, I don’t think it SHOULD be behind-the-counter, but it’s a fair compromise. 

I’ll be honest, I’m not going to need this pill for at least 5 years (if I ever do), but when I bother to keep friends who are still sort of adolescent or wild in their behavior, I still generally keep one dose of it around. One of my best friends who ended up coming to me about it was 16, so I’m glad people knew I had it on hand.

Given that the female body under age 17 is incredibly under-equipped to create a fetus, why should they be the ones who have it restricted? They’re at the most risk. Their infants would be at the most risk. They’re the ones who should least be having infants. 

Women should be allowed to make this choice regardless of age.  If the instructions are really as complicated as they believe they are, they should either make them easier to read or make sure every single vitamin/medication is only accessible to those over 17.  This is the most frustrating thing to hear.