NEW YORK (AP) -- A judge has ordered the Food and Drug Administration to let 17-year-old girls use emergency contraception without a prescription.
Federal Judge Edward Korman in Brooklyn says the FDA had played politics in its decisions over the past few years regarding the contraceptive known as Plan B.
He says the commission had "at the behest of political actors" decided to deny nonprescription access to underage girls before FDA scentific review staff had completed their reviews.
The ruling Monday overturns the FDA's denial of a petition by individuals and organizations that advocated for wider distribution and access to emergency contraceptives.
