The morning after pill will now be sold over the counter without an age restriction.
The U.S. Government’s Food and Drug Administration recently announced that a generic brand of the morning after pill, Plan B, will now be sold over-the-counter without an age restriction, The Almagest reports.
The more affordable version of Plan B One Step will be sold at a lower cost allowing teenagers in need of emergency birth control easier access when they are low on cash.
According to Time, generic versions of the pill were restricted to women ages 17 and odler. However, any age is able to choose the original contraceptive or the generic version.
The Plan B pill helps prevent pregnancies if it is taken 72 hours after unprotected sex for women who weigh 165 pounds or less.
The product will be sold recommending that it should only be used by people over the age of 17, however retailers will not be required to ask teenagers who buy it how old they are.
“This is a significant leap forward in obtaining full, over-the-counter status for emergency contraception and we commend the FDA for this decision,” Jessica Arons, President and CEO of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project said in a statement.