that while you folks argue over what should happen that you invest some energy regarding your own persoanl choices as well as the choices your children will be faced with, and in word and deed demonstrate that personal responsibility and self-esteem are nor synonymous with careless, casual sex?

You may hate to admit it, but the moment that OTC treatment hits the first store shelf males will be bringing it along on the date with the bottle of wine (or with the Arby's twofer coupon for our low class freinds) saying, "baby, the other thing I hold here in my hand is our ticket to Fuck City."

Welcome to your world. Just one more thing women will have responsibility for while men fuck indiscriminately. Imagine how much easier this will make affairs.....

I'm not sure I understand your interest in having the pill made OTC. Why would think this is more important? The whole point of Plan B is to get it in an emergency. That is why supporters consider it important. And as others have stated previously, the regular pill is not the same and shouldn't be given without doctor supervision.

Don't get me wrong, I love the pill and have been on it successfully for 20 years now but its serious medication. As for cost, at Planned Parenthood it runs around $15. I currently pay $10 under my health plan for the Ortho Novum generic. Contrast that with a much more expensive Plan B and the conservative's argument of "abuse" goes out the window pretty fast. Besides, you seem to think that there's one pill out there that will work for the majority of women and thats just not the case. OTC for the regular pill is not based in reality. Anyone faced with an insurance carrier who won't pay for BC should go to PP for their prescription. I used to be able to get up to six months of packs from them so if location is an issue, that can be resolved as well.

And why are we only concerned about teenagers? Does everyone think anyone over the age of 21 is married? I'm assuming the majority of the market for this drug will be adult women and not teens running off to pay $40 a hit for it.

As for side effects, all the posters here are saying they tried "a type" of EC. As Kate has described, Plan B is a totally different animal so lets not scare women away from using it with horror stories of past drugs.

I did take the morning-after pill once and it does make you sick as a dog...I mean SICK...but I never hear that brought up in most discussions about it. I wonder why? Would it ruin someone's argument?

I agree with others: you're happy to have it that one time, but after that you'd never think of it as regular contraception.

As for the pill being OTC, I see the argument but the pill is associated with some health problems, especially in women who smoke or are very overweight, so it seems to me that it should be taken after consultation with a doctor. You only have to go once a year.

And yes, having Plan B OTC would be a lot better than ferreting out a doctor on a Sunday morning, getting a script called in and possibly having the pharmacist refuse it. I think a lot of young women are too misinformed or intimidated to do it. If I were young and single again, I'd probably buy one and keep it on hand.

I mean, c'mon, they put a person who's name is Janet Woodcock in a decision-making role on this issue. Stands to reason that, well, they may not necessarily be going to taking a lead role in regulating this interest in the best interest of women. I can just see our Beavis and Butthead administration going

"Who should we put in charge of stonewalling women's reproductive drights in the name of our right-wing, lunatic fringe? I know, heh, heh, let's put Woodcock, in charge. Heh, heh, heh heh, yeah, Woodcock."

Tragically,at this point in this administration, I'm not sure if I'm actually being completely snarky here or whether, given their record of relating to the American public, particularly on these sorts of issues, this could actually have happened.

I am not saying that Plan B should not be sold over the counter, as I said; I do not have the necessary background to say that. As the drug has been approved for prescription use, I presume that it has been shown to not carry long term health effects when used properly, and as such the only real question before the FDA should be with regard to complications associated with it’s use and whether or not they indicate that a physician be involved in administering the drug.

My central argument is that better and more convenient access to the Pill is a more effective front where to focus one’s efforts to entreat the FDA.

I think, that by focusing on OTC approval of the Pill (which ever version of the Pill is most safe and effective to circumvent arguments about the different versions of the pill) you avoid the very real political opposition to Plan B (even among conservatives the Pill is already a common part of people’s lives), and increase acceptance of the notion of women overseeing their own reproductive health.

Yes I do believe that research should be done into the effects of repeated use of a drug before it is approved to be taken without a doctor’s supervision. I also believe that such studies have yet to be done with regard to Plan B. And yes, I do believe that the pain and discomfort of the use this drug will not prevent its use by many people as a primary form of birth control. People routinely do things that are not good or enjoyable for them because it is a path of least resistance. This being said however my beliefs are beside the point in this debate. What I have an issue with is whether or not this is the most effective fight to be waged.

While I certainly feel for the woman who finds herself in a situation where this drug is denied them, a woman in a rural area where local mores prevent her access to Plan B by prescription would be in no better a situation if Plan B were an OTC drug. The local pharmacist who opposed the drug with a prescription would be just as opposed to its sale OTC and choose not to carry the drug at all. Likewise, as the drug is to be used as an emergency contraceptive there may not be a large market for it in these rural areas giving larger retailers the cover not to carry it as well, and there by avoid confrontation with local opposition.

By contrast, if the efforts currently focused on getting Plan B approved for over the counter sales were instead put on the Pill, then in short order it would be approved (due to the much lower opposition). Approval of OTC Pill would lead to greater marketing of the product and thusly greater awareness and availability. Likewise, once the Pill has been approved for over the counter sales, the opposition to Plan B would be that much less, as one could point out that over the counter sales of the Pill did not lead to the downfall of western civilization as one might have thought. By making Plan B the priority you simply exacerbate an already contentious debate and prevent any real progress in women’s health from happening.

Again, of course, these are simply my own humble opinions and I thank you for considering them.