Article Content

Adolescents receive inaccurate information on emergency contraception. According to a study in the January Journal of Adolescent Health, teens wanting to buy Plan B (levonorgestrel, used as emergency contraception) face barriers at pharmacies, where staff may cite ethical or moral objections to selling it; they may also be confused about dispensing rules, such as age limits, the need for a prescription, and confidentiality. Trained callers posing as 17-year-olds talked with employees at 943 pharmacies in five U.S. cities. They asked about that day's availability of emergency contraception, age requirements, and the need for prescriptions or parental notification. Eighty percent of the pharmacies had Plan B in stock, but only 57% gave correct information about access.