Judge Rules Morning After Pill Must be Made Available Over the Counter

A federal judge ruled last week that the so-called morning-after pill must be made available over the counter to women and girls of all ages.

The Morning-after Abortion Pill (MAP), which is commonly referred to by pro-abortion activists as a so-called “emergency contraception” drug, is actually a high dosage of hormones ordinarily found in physician-prescribed “birth control” pills. According to documentation from manufacturers of the MAP, the pill must be taken within 72 hours after sexual intercourse to be effective. While the MAP’s primary purpose is to prevent ovulation, it is also designed to prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg when taken AFTER conception, thereby causing some chemical abortions.

The government had required a prescription for girls 16 and younger. The drug is sold under brand names like Plan B and Ella, and is marketed as a method of “emergency” contraception.

In 2011, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius ignored recommendations by the Food and Drug Administration to make the drug available to all without a prescription.

Although the drug is supposed to be kept behind the pharmacy counter, government regulators have approved dispensing it in a vending machine in at least one location, at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.

To learn more about the reasons FPN opposes use of the Morning After Pill (MAP), click here.