1. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Aspirin are available over-the-counter (OTC) both highly lethal when taken in over dose. One bottle is all it takes. No age limit or mental health screen is required before purchasing either.
2. Plan B is most effective the sooner you take it. Reducing barriers to getting it (i.e. calling a doctor, asking for the prescription) saves time.
3. A 16 year old can drive a car. Legally. That is far riskier than taking Plan B.
4. Plan B has no serious side effects nor medication interactions.
5. A 14 year old who has a baby can sign consent forms so her baby can have surgery and make decisions what to feed that child, but not purchase Plan B to prevent her next pregnancy? Really!?
6. Numerous studies show that access to Plan B does not encourage irresponsible sexual behavior.
7. Plan B is OTC for all ages in 8 of the 10 Canadian provinces and things still haven’t gone to hell in a hand basket up north.
8. Almost 1 in 5 practitioners are reluctant to discuss emergency contraception with adolescents, so having Plan B eye level helps teenagers know it exists and where to get it.
9. Making Plan B OTC is recommended by both the American College of OB/GYN and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
10. The World Health Organizations’ “Medical Eligibility for Contraception” guide has no condition in which the risks of Plan B outweigh the benefits.
There are a million (ok, a hundred or so) reasons to make Plan B OTC for all ages.
The only reason to prevent widespread access? Politics.
Dr. Jen Gunter 
I also would like to add an extra comment to those who questioned the possibility for young girls who might use Plan B as a primary form of BC. First and foremost, Plan B is a massive dose of hormones, and about 25% of user have some form of side effects. No woman young or old…er wants that.
It also comes to a very high price of $50 a pill. Thus, I really doubt the trend for teenagers would be to use it as a substitute when it would be so much cheaper to get birth control pills, or other forms of contraceptive.
I agree 100%. It should be sold over the counter. It is a birth control pill NOT sex control pill.
In addition to that, I find it insulting that women who obviously look older than 17 years old (in the US) are ID carded.to be able to buy it.
I am 47 and accident happens. And when something like that occurs you don’t want to wait for a pharmacy to be open at office hours. That aside, it is extremely humiliating for a grown up to have to “prove” OBVIOUS age.
Idiotic laws applied with stupidity by stupid people and nobody fighting to change them.
I really feel for the young girls who are in need and have to go through this nightmare.
thanks for posting this issue Dr. Jen Gunter . .this post gives me another knowledge about “medical information”
Thanks for posting this. This issue is so important to women’s health. Please sign this petition I created so that Secretary Sebelius and President Obama will pay attention! http://www.change.org/petitions/dont-overrule-the-fda-make-emergency-contraception-available-to-all-women
“Plan B” has some pretty serious side-effects for the baby…
No it doesn’t at all. There are no risks for either a pregnant woman or a fetus from accidental or intentional Plan B use during pregnancy. This is fact. Try again.
Great reasons! I think another important reason is for young women to develop the habit of using Plan B after unprotected sex rather than developing the habit of taking the chance.
Nice points.
Could you speak to the question of whether younger girls may incorrectly use Plan B as their primary form of birth control (thinking it’s a substitute for the pill). Is there evidence for that? Isn’t that what HHS was primarily suggesting?
Even if they do – and I don’t know what evidence there is for that – using Plan B as contraception is surely better than not using anything.
From what I’m reading using Plan B reduces your chance of conception by about half (from 1/20 to 1/40). If girls assumed that Plan B is as effective as normal oral contraceptives and used it as their primary form of birth control then there will likely be a higher number of births/terminations.
There are two things I need to see before supporting prescription only Plan B for younger women:
1. Are younger girls more likely to believe that Plan B can be used as a primary form of birth control?
I haven’t seen any evidence suggesting that.
2. Does preventing girls from getting OTC Plan B increase the uptake of other forms of contraceptives?
Highly doubtful – but worth studying so maybe we can change policy!
Plan B is OTC here in Mexico too, has been for at least 5 years
Great post Dr. Gunter…absolutely love your science-based approach to medicine. Among the hundreds of reasons to allow Plan B over the counter is that Canada has Plan B over the counter and has a teenage pregnancy rate of 1/3 of US…from Amanda Marcotte…
So glad i’m following you on Twitter!