Community | April 22, 2009 | 49 comments

17-year-olds can now get Plan B... without a doctor’s prescription

source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30350234/

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AwesomeJosh
The Food and Drug Administration, reversing field, will allow 17-year-olds get the ’morning-after’ birth control pill without a doctor’s prescription, the agency announced Wednesday.

The FDA will not appeal a federal judge’s order overturning restrictions that were imposed during the Bush administration.

U.S. District Judge Edward Korman ruled that Bush administration appointees let politics, not science, drive their decision to allow over-the-counter access only for women 18 and older.

Korman ordered the FDA to let 17-year-olds get the medication. He also is ordering the agency to evaluate whether all age restrictions should be lifted.

In a statement, the FDA indicates that it is ready to approve the change once the manufacturer requests it.

Plan B is emergency contraception that contains a high dose of birth control drugs and will not interfere with an established pregnancy. Religious conservatives say it’s the equivalent of an abortion pill because it can prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.

The battle over access to Plan B has dragged on for the better part of a decade, through the tenure of three FDA commissioners. Among many in the medical community, it came to symbolize the decline of science at the agency. Top FDA managers refused to go along with the recommendations of scientific staff and outside advisers that the drug be made available over-the-counter with no age restrictions.

“The FDA got caught up in a saga, it got caught up in a drama,” said Susan Wood, who served as the agency’s top women’s health official and resigned in 2005 over delays in issuing a decision. “This issue served as a clear example of the agency being taken off track, and it highlighted the problems FDA was facing in many other areas.”

Conservatives said the FDA should have appealed the judge’s ruling.

“This decision is driven by politics, not what is good for patients or minors,” said Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America, a public policy group representing religious conservatives. “Parents should be furious at the FDA’s complete disregard of parental rights and the safety of minors.”

If taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, Plan B can reduce a woman’s chances of pregnancy by as much as 89 percent.

It contains a high dose of birth control drugs and works by preventing ovulation or fertilization. It also may prevent a fertilized egg from implanting into the uterus, but recent research suggests that’s not likely. In medical terms, pregnancy begins when a fertilized egg attaches itself to the wall of the uterus.

The treatment consists of two pills and sells for about $35 to $60. Women must ask for Plan B at the pharmacy counter, and show identification with their date of birth. The drug is made by a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, an Israeli company. It does not prevent sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV/AIDS.

Supporters of broader access argued that Plan B was safe and effective in preventing unwanted pregnancy, and could also help reduce the number of abortions.

Opponents, including prominent conservatives, countered that it would encourage promiscuity, and might even become a tool for criminals running prostitution rings, as well as for sexual predators.

Early in the Bush administration, more than 60 organizations petitioned the FDA to allow sales without a prescription. But according to court documents, the issue quickly became politicized.

In 2003, a panel of outside advisers voted 23 to 4 to recommend over-the-counter sales without age restrictions. But top FDA officials told their subordinates that no approval could be issued at the time, and the decision would be made at a higher level. That’s considered highly unusual, since the FDA usually has the last word on drug decisions...
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49 comments // 17-year-olds can now get Plan B... without a doctor’s prescription

  • Elligirl
    • 0
      Elligirl  

    • In tough economic times, you have to allow people to control their own destinies as much as possible. To allow them to prevent unwanted childbirth is a great start.

    • 2 years ago
  • rockstarmillionaire
  • Jacques_of_Spades
  • krush_productions
    • 0
      krush_productions  

    • Good, I had a little incident several years ago and went along with my girlfriend at the time to get Plan B. I was extremely disturbed by the doctors reaction and advice. He said he wouldn't give us the pill and that we were taking a child's life for granted, misinterpreting the gift of god, etc. I explained that we had done everything in our power to be safe, sometimes the condom breaks. We ended up going somewhere else.

    • 2 years ago
  • pinkerbelle
  • krush_productions
  • jennatar
  • NJDaryl
    • 0
      NJDaryl  

    • That is good they letting them get it. I heard the side effects so I don't think they use it as a regular birth control.

    • 2 years ago
  • ETmusic310
    • 0
      ETmusic310  

    • all i have to say is: THANK YOU.

      i once had a condom break on me with this girl i was hooking up with and i tried to purchase plan B and got denied. i went through so much anxiety and it makes me feel so much better that this is now available to younger peeps but its still not enough. if i had it my way this stuff would be handed out in the streets!

    • 2 years ago
  • rachelmaechel
  • marpunk
  • Entrancing
  • pinkerbelle
    • 0
      pinkerbelle  

    • i know that the plan b is a better alternative to many things such as unwanted pregnancies, and a solution for accidents that are bound to happen. but if you're planning on having sex, be aware of other options like the birth control pill (there are many types out there that will accomodate different types of women) instead of having a mishap and running for plan b all the time.

      I'm sure this drug isn't something that you can constantly take on a regular basis, and by regular i mean like once a month or once every other....its for emergencies only and i don't think that 17 yr olds are going to think about the repercussions before they run for plan b. 17 year olds are often still in high school and have a harder time getting their hands on the pill and therefore this shouldn't be put out there for everyone.

      Perhaps a compromise would be to allow people of all ages to take them and then advise everyone or those under a certain age or leave a record of the fact that they've taken it already. if a pharmacist or someone sees that a teen/woman has taken the plan b more than 5 times in a year (or something), they would recommend other options that she may not be aware of. a better informed person will be able to make better decisions.

    • 2 years ago
  • jh64487
    • 0
      jh64487  
    • pinkerbelle:

      EXCEPT IT'S NOT ACTUALLY DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH AND IT COSTS 50 FREAKING DOLLARS EACH.

      you really think kids are going to run and pay 50 dollars every time rather than just grab a box of condoms? where do you live?

    • 2 years ago
  • pinkerbelle
    • 0
      pinkerbelle  
    • pinkerbelle:

      $50!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!

      LOL my bad...and btw i live in canada where it's $30...and in american dollars, that would be approximately $25ish...so i assumed it would be roughly the same price. and in high school we had a sex ed/sexual health counselor that would come every thursday and from what i heard, with a prescription you can get birth control from her at lower price and plan b for $10 after a long chat with her. but geeesssss, $50 is a lot of money these days.

    • 2 years ago
  • Nephwrack
  • jh64487
    • 0
      jh64487  
    • Image

    • nkeg, you're argument is disturbing. a few people abuse it so it should banned or screened for everyone? why not say the same thing with any drug, OTC or otherwise. or alcohol...or cigarettes. hmmm? should clerks be able to decide that guy has bought enough alcohol for the week, or had one too many cigarettes. maybe they've had their quota of candy too, "you're looking a little portly their dear, no chocolate for you this week" (as obesity is one of the primary killers of americans these days)

      you're also arguing that gov and or anyone who happens to run a pharmacy should be able to decide what is or isn't right for your body. that's not cool at all because...

      ...as for safety, that's a BS concern unfortunately. there is no proven harm to using these pills.

      (not attacking, just fact checking as you're assumptions are mostly wrong)

    • 2 years ago
  • nkeg87
    • 0
      nkeg87  

    • I dont think this drug should be OTC but I dont know if I agree with the age restrictions. Also, if youre already taking birth control I hope you realize Plan B is essentially the equivalent of 3-4 of those pills at one time (that's how my hospital dispenses it to say money, split a birth control pack instead of buying brand name Plan B, duh!).

      I also think pharmacists should be able to use their discretion when dispensing it, specifically because of the example I posted in a reply either. Some women abuse this as a form of birth control when it is only supposed to be for emergencies, not a primary form of contraception. I dont, however, think pharmacists should be able to not dispense it because of personal religious beliefs.

    • 2 years ago
  • cybexg
    • 0
      cybexg  
    • nkeg87:

      "[I] think pharmacists should be able to not dispense it because of personal religious beliefs.

      Note, [I] means I inserted the I into her quote.

      ABSOLUTELY NOT. Police, Firemen, Doctors, Pharmacists, and a few others have immense authority and responsibilities granted to them by society. They should NOT be able to choose who to help just because of religious beliefs.

    • 2 years ago
  • fountaingoats
    • 0
      fountaingoats  

    • This is a good first step - now we need to remove age restrictions entirely. The law still puts the health and safety of young women below age 17 at risk by requiring parental notification.

    • 2 years ago
  • el_chivo
    • 0
      el_chivo  

    • Encourage sexual predators? Sure, a sexual predator must be thinking right now “now I can rape and don’t feel bad because my victim can buy a pill”.
      Is a goddamn sexual predator!! He doesn’t care about!!!

    • 2 years ago
  • TheDesertEagle
  • rachelmaechel
  • TheDesertEagle
    • 0
      TheDesertEagle  
    • TheDesertEagle:

      I definitely think that joke was funny even though the situation is serious. Personally if you still live with ya parents and are under their financial and parental care you shouldn't be able to make those choices alone. That's why adults are adults and children are children, adults are directly responsible and have to pay for all their choices.

    • 2 years ago
  • yayi1
    • 0
      yayi1  

    • I see more and more young GIRLS pregnant everyday. This is a good step forward. Now we need more parents being less ignorant and instead be open with their children not ignore the issues.

    • 2 years ago
  • yayi1
    • 0
      yayi1  

    • I see more and more young GIRLS pregnant everyday. This is a good step forward. Now we need more parents being less ignorant and instead be open with their children not ignore the issues.

    • 2 years ago
  • yayi1
    • 0
      yayi1  

    • I see more and more young GIRLS pregnant everyday. This is a good step forward. Now we need more parents being less ignorant and instead be open with their children not ignore the issues.

    • 2 years ago
  • DeliaTheArtist
    • 0
      DeliaTheArtist  

    • As other women said, this is NOT another form of "birth control" and if you've taken it, you know why. It can be expensive and it's pure hormones that it makes you quite crazy for about a day.

      17 is old enough to be making your own decisions and many young women feel like they can not go to their parents with issues like this. Good for us for not letting other people's belief systems mess with our laws (for once.)

    • 2 years ago
  • racheanne
    • 0
      racheanne  

    • this is a good thing.

      and no one would use this as a form of birth control - the one time I had to buy it it was $41. you can get condoms for free from planned parenthood, and even if you buy them, they're a fraction of the price that planB is.

    • 2 years ago
  • jennatar
    • 0
      jennatar  
    • racheanne:

      Seriously. The pill (well, the pair of pills, I guess) is FIFTY DOLLARS. Calls to mind that old Chris Rock bit about stopping crime, "if bullets were a million dollars each" or whatever.

      Point being, Plan B is exactly what it purports to be: an *emergency* contraceptive.

    • 2 years ago
  • artemis6
  • FallenMorgan
  • Melk
  • Dersex
    • 0
      Dersex  

    • well at least there wont be any teenagers that ae pregnant and wot want 2 keep the baby!! maybe this will prevent another casey anthony incident....

    • 2 years ago
  • kennymotown
  • danecruse
    • 0
      danecruse  

    • i am proud we want to prevent teen pregnancy but we still but a a certain amount of shame behind the purchase of contraceptives

    • 2 years ago
  • thea_inthecity
    • 0
      thea_inthecity  

    • I'm not a fan of messing with hormones. I think its stupid for adults, not to mention growing teens. I will agree that something needs to be done to stop the rise of young pregnancies, but this freaks me out.

    • 2 years ago
  • GLiz
    • 0
      GLiz  

    • Really, what's the big deal? You don't need a prescription to get condomns. Having Plan B over the counter will prevent the numbers of abortions.

    • 2 years ago
  • anglcazn
    • 0
      anglcazn  

    • Good. It is necessary to prevent pregnancy in case of an emergency such as the condom breaking or forgetting to take that one pill.

      For people who are going to complain that its going to be another form of birth control. It's not. I'll admit it, I took the Plan B pill once. That was NOT a fun trip. Because of the large amount of hormones compacted into one pill, I became extremely emotional. I cried and stared at a wall for a whole day. My boyfriend was confused and distraught.

    • 2 years ago
  • mykuh
    • 0
      mykuh  

    • In every state I've lived in, you can get birth control and condoms for free at the health department without telling your parents from ages 14 and up. Of course in order to get it you must get an annual exam.

      Plus it's too expensive to be used daily... last time I purchased it, it was $46. No one wants to shell that out every time you have sex.

      I think conservatives are just trying a scare tactic in order to prevent it from going out to teenagers.

    • 2 years ago
  • jennatar
    • 0
      jennatar  
    • mykuh:

      Exactly. Requiring parental permission leverages a child's sense of shame against her -- the idea really is to make the acquisition of Plan B as painful as possible.

      Only problem is, making it tougher to get Plan B doesn't promote abstinence. Quite the opposite: it promotes *pregnancy*.

    • 2 years ago
  • ashcatash
    • 0
      ashcatash  

    • I don't know if this is good or bad. On one hand, it might help some 17 year olds if they get date raped or molested or have an accident.
      But on the other hand, some might use it as a form of birth control, and that could be dangerous to their health.

    • 2 years ago
  • nkeg87
    • 0
      nkeg87  
    • ashcatash:

      Some people actually do this. My classmate was telling us the other day that a woman came to their pharmacy 23 times for Plan B, refused counseling and the law in that states mandates the pharmacist dispense it. Thats just stupid as its very harmful when taken like this.

    • 2 years ago
  • jh64487
    • 0
      jh64487  
    • Image
    • ashcatash:

      so...the actions of one woman should prohibit all others from using it?

      or is the argument that it is simply to easy to abuse. which would mean you want the gov or the pharmacy to tell you what is acceptable for you to do with your body.

      ...i thought conservatives were against that. as for harming...i don't think it actually does any harm to you regardless of how many times you use it

      regarding promiscuous behavior...red states actually have the highest rates of teen pregnancy, which does not indicate that they are more promiscuous, just that their less educated.

      so...give'em this option, show them graphically what diseases like gonorrhea can do to your twinkies, and teach them how to use condoms etc for safety.

      we know they're going to have sex anyways red states. there is very clear and public data that red states have significantly higher rates of teen pregnancy and STD's. it's not theoretical.

    • 2 years ago
  • cybexg
  • mykuh
    • 0
      mykuh  

    • This is good.

      Only because there are unusually cruel parents out there that would let their child become pregnant even if the child petitioned to get the morning-after pill in enough time to prevent it. I consider that child abuse.

    • 2 years ago
  • jennatar
  • Melk
  • FallenMorgan
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