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'Morning-After' Pill Goes Over-the-Counter to 15-Year-Olds

  • Religion Today Religious persecution, missions, Christianity around the world
  • Updated May 01, 2013

The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that the so-called "morning-after" pill will now be available over-the-counter without a prescription to girls as young as 15, WORLD reports. The drug, sold under brand names like Plan B and ella and marketed as a method of "emergency" contraception, prevents implantation of a fertilized egg or causes an early abortion. According to the FDA ruling, drug stores will be able to stock the drug on store shelves just like condoms, but buyers would have to prove their age at the cash register. Previously, the government had required a prescription for girls 16 and younger. And in 2011, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius disregarded a recommendation by the FDA to make the drug available over-the-counter -- a decision that surprised many given the Obama administration's strong support for abortion. A federal judge ruled earlier in April that there should be no age restrictions for the drug, giving the FDA 30 days to act. The FDA said Tuesday's decision was not a result of the judge's ruling.