In August 2006, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the sale of the morning-after pill without a prescription to women 18 and older. Annual sales of Plan B are expected to double this year, The Washington Post reports.
"This is very concerning," Charmaine Yoest of the Family Research Council told The Post. FRC is among several groups suing the FDA to reverse the decision. "We think this is putting women's health at risk."
Plan B consists of higher doses of the hormones found in standard birth control pills. It is taken within 72 hours of sex and is intended to prevent pregnancy, but may cause an early abortion.
Dawn Vargo, associate bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said: "The increased use of Plan B increases the risk to women's health and has the potential for abuse."
