NPR Poll: Americans Favor Age Restrictions on Morning-After Pill

In a new poll out by NPR, 65% of Americans surveyed said availability of the morning-after pill (also called “Plan B” or “emergency contraception) should depend on some sort of age-limit.

According to the poll, 20.8% of respondents believe a girl should be at least 15 to obtain the morning-after pill without a prescription; 34.9% said she should be at least 18; and 9.2% said a woman should be at least 21 before she can obtain it.

Only 18.3% said the morning-after pill should be available regardless of age, and 16.7% said that if the drug is going to be available without a minimum age, a prescription should be required in order to purchase it.

Additionally, 66.4% said if the morning-after pill is available to minors without a prescription, parents should have to give their permission before the drug is sold to their child.

What is commonsense to most Americans — age restrictions, prescriptions, and parental consent — is not commonsense to the federal government, however. The FDA has moved the morning-after pill out from behind the pharmacist’s counter; it now can be purchased by anyone at any age without the involvement of a parent, doctor, or other medical professional.

Students for Life has documented how this situation puts young girls in danger. Watch the video they produced earlier this year here.

Read the full NPR poll here.