President Barack Obama has dropped his administration’s legal challenges to a ruling which permits girls of any 
age accessing the controversial Plan B morning after pill over the counter and without a perscription.
The Department of Justice will no longer appeal the ruling by Judge Edward Korman of the District Court of Eastern New York that overturned Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ decision to keep the age limit of 17 on obtaining Plan B without a prescription.
Instead, it plans to move forward on making the morning-after pill available to girls of all ages, over-the-counter and without a prescription.
Pro-family groups have blasted the decision for abandoning common sense and putting politics ahead of the health and safety of girls.
For over a decade, abortion campaigners, politicians, the US Government’s Food and Drug Administration, and Plan B manufacturers have clashed in a back and forth of regulation and restriction with advocates for the pill pushing for the greater availability and opponents arguing for limiting access for girls considered by some to be too young to understand the risks.
Penny Nance, CEO and president of Concerned Women for America said that President Obama had “abandoned common sense and will allow our nation’s teens and young girls to have access to a highly powerful drug forty times stronger than birth control”.
“I sincerely fear for the future health and wellness of women and children, as doctors, parents, and pharmacists are eliminated from this very serious conversation about sexual activity, pregnancy, fertility, and overall health,” she added.
Meanwhile, Anna Higgins, director of the Family Research Council’s Center for Human Dignity said the decision was “a clear example of the administration’s willingness to put politics ahead of the health and safety of girls”.
“We are disappointed that this administration has once again sided with its political allies and ignored the safety of girls and the rights of parents.”
Those who oppose over the counter access of the pill for all ages argue that it could cause some young girls to engage in reckless behavior. Some are also concerned that such easy access to the drug without a doctor’s prescription could discourage girls from receiving medical screenings, which can play a vital role in the discovery and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.