Contraceptive Controversy
Maureen Tkacik recently purchased Plan B without a prescription after having protected sex.
"There was a faulty condom issue and that resulted in me being worried because I'm not on the birth control pill," said Tkacik.
The 27-year-old professional blogger says she and her partner decided to purchase Plan B over the counter as a precaution, reports CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes.
"I don't have a gynecologist that I go to regularly, so it's not an easy thing for me to get prescription drugs," said Tkacik.
Since the FDA approved Plan B for over-the-counter use a year ago for women 18 and over, sales have doubled, Cordes reports. But it's still not universally available. Plan B, also know as the "morning after pill," is actually two pills that contain high doses of the hormones found in birth control pills. Taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, Plan B prevents pregnancy by stopping the release of an egg from the ovary or keeping a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.
Reproductive rights advocates say the 3 million unintended pregnancies in the United States each year can be reduced by making the drug accessible to women of all ages.
"We have an alarmingly high rate of teenage pregnancies in this country - 750,000 each year, and that population also needs access to emergency contraception," said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Some who opposed the FDA's decision to sell Pan B over the counter argue that allowing 16 year olds easy access will promote promiscuity, reports Cordes.
"The FDA doesn't know what the long-term consequences are of having women take the drug outside the parameters of the way it's prescribed, and so this is really gambling on women's health," said Charmaine Yoest of the Family Research Council.
Even advocated admit the current rules for Plan B are not perfect, forcing pharmacists to police their customers.
Some independent drug stores have refused to stock Plan B for moral reasons, likening it to abortion.
In Seattle, a group of pharmacists are suing Washington state after it ruled that they cannot block a patient's right to Plan B.
"Emergency contraception is contraception," said Northup. "It prevents pregnancy. And there's no reason for pharmacists not to be providing contraceptives."