The government rejected over-the-counter sales of morning-after birth control Thursday, citing concern about young teenagers' use of the pills.Only problem is, pretty much every medical expert says the concern is totally bogus. Last December, the FDA advisory committees with jurisdiction over this matter voted 23 to 4 to recommend that emergency contraceptives be made available over the counter. And virtually every major medical and health organization agreed. But, not one to let science get in the way of good politics, the Bush administration, at the behest of the religious right, put the kibosh on things.
Proponents immediately accused the Food and Drug Administration of bowing to conservative political pressure — noting that the agency had overruled its own scientific advisers, who had overwhelmingly called easier access to emergency contraception a safe way to prevent thousands of abortions. - Reuters
- Here's Planned Parenthood's take on today's decision.
- Here's more background on the issue from the Washington Post.
