Morning After Pill Increased Use Among Teens

Did you know the morning after pill, usually from the brand name Plan B, can be purchased by teens without a prescription. One would assume this could lead to overuse. More than 1 in 5 sexually active teens have used the morning-after pill which experts have deemed that this increase is major and likely reflects how easy it is to obtain emergency contraceptive. A new report released this week concluded teens use the morning-after pill increased from a decade earlier where it was 1 in 12. Now all teens can purchase it without a prescription.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released these findings based on a survey that's considered the governments best source of information on teen sex and contraception use. In contrast, the report showed almost now change in other types of birth control used by teen girls who are sexually active. 

This increase in use is probably a sign that we have more to go in way of educating around contraception. The morning-after pill contains a higher dose of the female hormone progestin used in regular birth control pills. It cuts the chances of pregnancy by nearly 90 percent if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. In 2006, those 18 years and older could it over the counter but these limited were lifted in 2013. The pill typically costs $35 to $50. 

This report is stemmed from interviews with about 2,000 people ages 15-19 from 2011-2013.