WASHINGTON, May 13 (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union Thursday urged an investigation of the Food and Drug Administration for its rejection of the Plan B contraceptive.
Last week, the FDA denied over-the-counter status to the "morning-after" emergency contraceptive, despite an overwhelming recommendation from its own advisory panel. The FDA said there had not been enough testing to determine whether the drug was safe for girls 16 and under.
The ACLU pointed out that an FDA advisory panel of medical experts voted 23-4 last December to allow Plan B to be made available without a prescription. The FDA staff as well as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Public Health Association and other medical organizations supported the recommendation.
The ACLU said it was joining members of Congress and other groups in calling for an investigation.
"The FDA's decision ... makes clear the administration's unabashed and unconscionable willingness to put anti-choice politics before science and women's health," ACLU legislative director Laura W. Murphy said in a statement.
