New Ruling on "Plan B" Contraceptives

Recently, the government overruled an FDA recommendation to allow "Plan B" birth control without a prescription. The decision has come under heavy fire from the left and right, and especially from Female-interest groups and groups dedicated to advancing women's equality and liberty. But as the decision holds, anyone over the age of 17 can get "Plan B" without a prescription, while those under 17 must get a prescription. Hopefully it won't hold for long. 

The rationale provided by the Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for ignoring the FDA recommendation was that the study conducted failed to assess the impact on girls of all ages. Additionally, she worried that girls under the age of 17 would buy the pill and use it incorrectly. Another argument I have heard is that girls under age 17 could also come to abuse it in other ways, such as relying on it as a form of birth control. Frankly, I find these arguments ridiculous. First, Sebelius wanted the study to include girls all the way down to age 11. I don't think this is a reasonable claim. Second, imagine how easily a black market will develop. Girls who want to get the pill without a prescription will simply find an older friend or even a sibling and have them buy it instead. The same tactic already occurs with alcohol, which, let me remind you, is not hard to get by any measure despite the age limit. Third, girls who are on the fence about taking the emergency contraceptive may now be incentivized to err on the side opposite caution, since the cost of getting the pill has just been raised. And four, the "Plan B" contraceptive only has a 72 hour period of effectiveness after any sort of pregnancy scare. For some, the added time of finding out how to get a prescription, locating a doctor to prescribe it, and then finding a pharmacy to fill it may take too long for some. What if the doctor is out of town, the pharmacy is closed, or there are other extenuating circumstances? 

To give the other side a point I have not yet heard, this does have at least one benefit, which is that now girls must go to a doctor to get a prescription, which means that both a doctor and likely a parent will be involved, which will make the use safer. This will also facilitate discussion about sex, pregnancy, and contraceptives, and promote responsibility. However, these reasons are not enough to offset the high cost of this decision. It will be interesting to see if there are more teen pregnancies in the future.