Plan B to hit the shelves

The FDA finally approved the Morning-After-Pill to be sold over-the-counter. Does this mean more promiscuity? Probably. Fewer teen pregnancies? Perhaps.

From Forbes:

After a three-year delay, the approval Thursday came with stiff restrictions: Women under the age of 18 cannot purchase the pills without a doctor's prescription, a condition set to respond to conservative groups' concerns that the contraceptive's easy availability would encourage premarital sex.

"Our assessment is that this younger age group would strongly benefit from consultation with a health-care provider before using the product," Dr. Steven Galson, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said during a news conference Thursday. "The application did not contain enough information about this age group to make us comfortable to do the switch fully for those younger people."

The drug can only be dispensed over-the-counter by a licensed pharmacist from a pharmacy.

I'm not worried about promiscuity, it will always exist. Fewer teen pregnancies is a good thing, but what this pill says to our teens and adult-minors is what I am worried about.

It is unlike any other contraceptive -where measures are taken in advance of intercourse denoting some responsibility has been taken, albeit small and uncertain. This pill gives relief to those who failed to take any responsibility, and the unscrupulous behavior continues without consequence.

The FDA did their job, but it's the kids who will have to make the moral judgement.