It seems the Obama administration will give in to a U.S. District Court ruling as an excuse to allow 17-year-olds to buy the morning-after pill without a prescription or their parents' consent. An official with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told reporters that an announcement on the subject was forthcoming but that the decision had been made to overturn the current policy, which dates back to the Bush administration.
Judge Edward Korman ordered FDA officials to make Plan B available over-the-counter to minors as young as 17. The Obama administration has decided to roll over and accept the court decision without a single appeal. Essentially, the President is allowing a lone federal district judge to make a scientific decision that affects the health and safety of women across America. For the young administration, it shows an incredible disinclination to fight for good policy. Considering the risks that Plan B poses to women and its unproven track record after repeated use, there seems to be no rational basis for the President's decision, except political ideology. So let me see, 17 year old girls can't buy cigarettes and they can't buy alcoholic beverages or go in to bars, but they can buy this pill and not tell their parents. How does that make sense?
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