The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Plan B, a brand of emergency contraceptive, to be available for women 15 and older without a prescription.
This comes a month after Federal Judge Edward Korman ordered emergency contraceptive be made available without age limit by April 5.
Prior to the new approval passed on April 30, the contraceptive was available to everyone age 17 and older without a prescription.
“Girls can’t get into an R-rated movie,” Barbara Rivers (junior, Communication Studies) said. “But they can buy a pill at 15 that may have long term side effects.”
According to the Justice Department, it is appealing the judge’s order on lowering the age limit.
The U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch wrote a letter to Judge Korman stating that he stepped beyond the boundaries of his authority.
The letter also stated the Second Circuit Court of Appeals had been asked to defer his April 5 ruling.
President Obama stated he supports the FDA’s decision to allow the sale of the Plan B pill even though his administration is appealing the ruling.
“I’m very comfortable with the decision that is being made based on solid scientific evidence for girls 15 and older,” President Obama said during an ABC interview.
In December 2011, the FDA concluded the pill is safe for over-the-counter use among women regardless of age.
The FDA also assured the pill could be taken without the need of consulting a physician.
Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary, overruled the agency. She cited concerns over a lack of data on the effects of girls age 12 and under.
“This is a truly bizarre and unprecedented situation,” American University Law professor, Lewis A. Grossman, said.
“We still have a major issue, the teen pregnancy rate is too high.”
According to the Center for Disease Control, over 750,000 teenagers became pregnant in 2012.
More than 66 percent of teens who had a baby did not graduate high school in 2012.
According to Pregnant Teen Help, the expense of teen pregnancy accumulates to an average of $7 billion a year throughout the U.S.
Within the first year of becoming teen mothers, one half of unmarried teen mothers go on welfare.
“I just want to be assured it is safe to take at that age,” Michelle Kirk, CSU Stanislaus alumni, said.