May 6 2004
Citing a concern that young teenagers may not safely use the morning after pill without a doctor's guidance, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) late today officially rejected a plan to make the pill available over-the-counter in America's pharmacies. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement in response to the FDA's decision:
"FRC applauds the FDA for putting the safety of American women and girls above the wishes of the pro-abortion lobby and we encourage them to hold their ground.
"Women taking the birth control pill consult with their doctors once a year for medical check-ups. The morning-after pill is 50 times stronger, and yet over-the-counter access would have allowed women and girls to take this dangerous drug without any medical oversight.
"It is worth noting that the self-described 'protectors of women's health', the pro-abortion lobby, repeatedly calls for such decisions to be made between 'women and their doctors.' But in this case, they were asking for these decisions to be made between young girls and a pharmacy counter, with no accountability or safeguards in place. We are glad the FDA saw it differently."
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