Vicky Florian ‘14

At a meeting of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology on January 6, five experts rejected Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ move to have the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) make Plan B available over the counter to women of all ages.

Plan B, or the “morning-after pill,” is an emergency contraceptive that can be taken up to 72 hours after intercourse. Currently, teens under the age of 17 need a prescription to get the drug, while women 17 and older can get it over the counter.

Experts say the pill should be taken as soon as possible to have it be the most effective and needing a prescription adds time to the process. Though the makers of Plan B insist that it is not an abortion pill and is not a substitute for routine birth control, opponents of the pill still view it as a means for “killing unborn children.” Some opponents of the pill also believe it encourages sexual activity and unprotected sex by younger girls.

The FDA approved the first version of Plan B in 1999. A version was rejected in 2004, but by 2006 the drug was allowed without a prescription for women 18 and older. The age restriction was changed to 17 in 2009. Teva Women’s Health, the creator of Plan B, wanted to make the drug easier to buy by eliminating any restrictions.