Vol. 75/No. 47      December 26, 2011

The Barack Obama administration overruled the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to remove the age restrictions for emergency contraception.

The morning-after pill, as it’s commonly called, is available over the counter for women 17 and older, but those younger need a doctor’s prescription.

Two years ago a district court ordered the removal of the age restriction, finding it was motivated solely by politics. The FDA recently complied, but the decision was blocked Dec. 7 by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The move represents the first time a U.S. health secretary has publicly overruled the FDA, according to the New York Times.

The FDA’s reason for removing the age restriction was straightforward, according to the Times, “Women can decide on their own when they need to take it, the drug is effective and its risks are minimal.”

—EMMA JOHNSON