Was the age restriction based on any scientific evidence that Plan B is not safe for women under 18?
Dr. Galson largely evaded reporters’ questions about the age restriction on OTC availability of Plan B, repeatedly referring them to the FDA website when they asked questions about it. He said that the age restriction (which was originally set at 16) was changed to 18 to make it less confusing for pharmacists to enforce. Despite the FDA-imposed age restriction, there is good evidence that easier access to ECPs (like Plan B) does not increase risk taking, either for adults or adolescents.* The reviewing divisions at the FDA, the FDA advisory committee, and multiple major medical organizations — including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics , and the Society for Adolescent Medicine — support nonprescription access for Plan B, without an age restriction.
Related Questions
- How will the FDA enforce the age restriction barring women under the age of 18 from getting Plan B without a prescription?
- Was the age restriction based on any scientific evidence that Plan B is not safe for women under 18?
- What if other people - parents, siblings, or friends - buy Plan B to give to women under the age of 18?
