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Judge: 17-Year-Olds Don't Need Prescription For Plan B
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 23, 2009
Modified Mar 23, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 23, 2009
Modified Mar 23, 2009
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A federal judge in Brooklyn said the Food and Drug Administration must give 17-year-olds over-the-counter access to morning-after pill Plan B. U.S. District Judge Edward Korman said the FDA, which only allowed women over 18 to buy the product without a prescription from pharmacy counters, was being too political for restricting access to the pill during the Bush years, saying the agency apparently allowed "political considerations, delays and implausible justifications" in the decision-making process. Korman pointed out, "The record shows that FDA officials and staff both agreed that 17-year-olds can use Plan B safely without a prescription," and ordered that the pill be made available without prescription to 17-year-olds within 30 days. The Center of Reproductive RIghts and others sued the FDA in 2005, "after the FDA denied a petition asking it to make Plan B available without a prescription to women of all ages," the AP reports. The Center's director Nancy Northrup said, "Today's ruling is a tremendous victory for all Americans who expect the government to safeguard public health."
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morning after pill
Plan B
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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