“Plan B Gets FDA OK”

In a decision reversal, the Food and Drug Administration will now allow 17-year-olds to get the ‘morning-after’ pill without a doctor’s prescription. The controversial change is churning up arguments over women’s rights, parents’ rights, and the safety of minors. Hardest hit of all, lest we forget: the nation’s prescription pad printers.

The pill is made to be swallowed up to 72 hours after unprotected sex in order to prevent ovulation or egg fertilization. Though 17-year-olds will now have access to the pill over the counter, there are no plans yet for a chewable, children’s version.

Purchasing the pill won’t require a parent’s permission, but will cost from $35 to $60, so Mom & Dad, watch your daughter if she starts asking for that advance on her allowance.

Sixty dollars may sound like a lot of money for one pill, but economic studies have shown that it actually costs more to have a baby.