In June 2013, the FDA approved the sale of an over the counter morning after pill. The sales of the pill will be “unrestricted”, meaning that there is no set age limit on who can purchase it. The step came after a lengthy legal battle by the Obama administration on the behalf of advocates for women’s health.
What the Over the Counter Morning After Pill Does
The over the counter morning after pill contains the same hormones that are found in birth control pills, except at a much higher dose. It has a 90 percent chance of preventing pregnancy when taken within 72 hours of a condom failure, forcible sex or forgotten birth control.
It is most effective when taken within the first 24 hours. The pill will not do anything if a woman is already pregnant.
Political Battles
Conservatives in both the political and social arenas have argued that an over the counter morning after pill would make the method available to girls as young as 11 and undermine parental control. They have also stated the pill could be dangerous to the health of very young girls.
U.S. District Judge Edward Korman passed down an April 2013 decision in which he decided that politics should not come before science and ordered the FDA to allow unrestricted sales of the pill, called Plan B One-Step.