The federal government is standing firm in requiring insurance to cover birth control, but is giving "religious-based hospitals, universities, charities, and other organizations whose primary purpose is not religious, an additional year to come into compliance with the contraceptive requirement." But soon-to-be-Cardinal Archbishop Timothy Dolan said in a furious statement: "In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences." more ›

The Federal Drug Administration has until tomorrow to decide whether to allow Plan B, a morning-after pill, to be sold on shelves and without a prescription. more ›

A month after a federal judge ruled that the Food and Drug Administration must give access to morning-after pill Plan B to 17-year-olds without a prescription, the FDA has done just that and lowered the age for the contraceptive to 17. U.S. District Judge Edward Korman had pointed out, "The record shows that FDA officials and staff both agreed that 17-year-olds can use Plan B safely without a prescription," but said the agency restricted access during the Bush years for political reasons. Now women, 17 and over, can go to pharmacies, show proof of age, and ask for and receive Plan B. The NY Times reports that while advocates have hoped the pill would help slash the teen pregnancy rate and critics have said it would lead to more abortions and unprotected sex, there's no evidence that either has happened. Princeton's Office of Population Research director Dr. James Trussell tells the Times, "This is not going to be a cheap cure to the unintended pregnancy epidemic in this country. It’s very depressing." more ›

A federal judge in Brooklyn said the Food and Drug Administration must give 17-year-olds over-the-counter access to morning-after pill Plan B. U.S. District Judge Edward Korman said the FDA, which only allowed women over 18 to buy the product without a prescription from pharmacy counters, was being too political for restricting access to the pill during the Bush years, saying the agency apparently allowed "political considerations, delays and implausible justifications" in the decision-making process. Korman pointed out, "The record shows that FDA officials and staff both agreed that 17-year-olds can use Plan B safely without a prescription," and ordered that the pill be made available without prescription to 17-year-olds within 30 days. The Center of Reproductive RIghts and others sued the FDA in 2005, "after the FDA denied a petition asking it to make Plan B available without a prescription to women of all ages," the AP reports. The Center's director Nancy Northrup said, "Today's ruling is a tremendous victory for all Americans who expect the government to safeguard public health." more ›