Ruling Makes Morning-After Pill Available to Local Teens

The Food and Drug Administration approved a plan to market Plan B One-Step for use without a prescription by women 15 years of age and older this week.

The product will be available in retail outlets with an onsite pharmacy in the family planning or female health aisles. The product will be available for sale during the retailer’s normal operating hours whether the pharmacy is open or not.

The emergency contraceptive will be packaged with a product code prompting a cashier to request and verify the customer’s age. A customer who cannot provide age verification will not be able to purchase the product. In addition, the drug's maker Teva has arranged to have a security tag placed on all product cartons to prevent theft.

Plan B One-Step is an emergency contraceptive intended to reduce the possibility of pregnancy within three days following unprotected sexual intercourse. 

Plan B One-Step will not stop a pregnancy when a woman is already pregnant, and there is no medical evidence that the product will harm a developing fetus.

However, the FDA's decision is causing some controversy. Some people are against women taking the drug at all. Others think there should be no age limit.

We asked you what you thought about the ruling on the Chartiers Valley Facebook page and this is what you said:

"The older anti-abortion people who protest outside of the Planned Parenthood birth control clinic in Bridgeville want to ban all birth control. Birth control and emergency contraception need to available to all women," wrote Cee Cee McNulty.

"I'm Catholic and don't beleive in abortion BUT I think this will end alot of ruined lives ... for those who take this the wrong way, sorry," wrote Kelly Petrosky.

"Bad idea," wrote Loree Defeo Stadler.

"A very bad sign of some very bad times. Morals have decayed and it starts with the parents," wrote Rob Chickis.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this honestly—I think I'm torn," wrote Lorie Davis.

"When you take 'Plan B' once—you NEVER do it again. It's the most awful feeling in the world," wrote Caitlin Cahill.

"Their business, not mine. Looks like parents may want to start parenting again ... seriously though, how do you card a 15 year old?" wrote Tom Hartsell.

"Plan B is not abortion. It prevents the egg from being fertilized," wrote Mark Labbett.

As you can see, there is a wide range of opinions on the morning-after pill. What do you think about the FDA's decision? Tell us in the comments below.

Like the Chartiers Valley Patch Facebook page or sign up for our Daily E-mail Newsletter