Last Friday, Federal District Court Judge Edward Korman ruled that Plan B, the most commonly used morning-after birth control pill, will be available to women of all ages without a prescription—a highly controversial decision that has been widely debated in the United States for the past decade. Most arguments against unrestricted availability to Plan B fall in one of two categories: scientific or moral. Although there is some overlap between the two, scientific arguments are usually concerned with the safety of the pill, while moral arguments say Plan B will encourage young girls to have sex.
In terms of safety, Plan B is much more difficult to overdose on than many other over-the-counter pills, such as Tylenol. Its worst side effects are nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headaches and vomiting. When compared to the possible death and liver failure that an overdose of Tylenol can cause, according to the New York Time’s Health Guide, Plan B doesn’t appear so dangerous. Medical professionals and scientists—including the FDA’s Scientific Advisory Committee—consider the drug to be safe for over-the-counter use, according to a Boston Globe article about Korman’s decision.
The argument that making Plan B more accessible will encourage girls to have sex is seriously flawed. Firstly, this argument suggests that legislation should be used to alter women’s sexual behavior, which is a problem in itself. Secondly, the possible sexual activity of teens should not factor into drug policy—only the safety and effectiveness of the drug should determine its legality. In Korman’s ruling, he states that “the FDA bowed to political pressure emanating from the White House and departed from agency policy.” There is no legitimate scientific or medical reason for the age limitations on Plan B. The government’s role is to ensure that drugs are sold in a safe manner, not to ensure that teenagers won’t have sex.
Furthermore, increasing the availability of the morning after pill is not going to make teens suddenly discover they have sex drives. The reality is that teens have sex. Increasing the availability of the morning after pill is not going to change that. Seeing contraceptive pills in the aisles of CVS is going to incite as much raging sexual desire in teens as seeing boxes of condoms in the aisles of CVS does. Not to mention that according to surveys done in 2006-2010 by the Guttmacher Institute, which researches sexual health, the most common reason teens cited for their reasoning on not having sex was that it was “against religion or morals.” These teens are not likely to suddenly decide to have sex regardless of how available Plan B is—sex will still be against their religions and their moral codes.
Age restrictions on Plan B simply make it more difficult for teenagers who are sexually active to take responsibility for their decisions and take care of their health. The previously imposed restrictions were founded mostly on a social stigma, as no scientific evidence suggests a reason for an age restriction, but with these restrictions now lifted, teenagers possess another accessible method of practicing safe sex.
Leah Shrestinian is a three-year Upper from Andover, Mass.
