Text Only
Full media Version


The Emergency Contraception Website - Your website for the "Morning After"

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About...

How to Get Emergency Contraception

If I am a teenager (under 18 years old), can I get emergency contraception in the United States without my parents' knowledge or consent?


Yes. No state or national law requires that your parents be notified or give their consent before you can get birth control, including emergency contraception. When states have tried to pass this kind of law, the courts have struck it down because it violates your constitutional right to privacy (which protects your right to use contraception). In addition, federal law prevents clinics that get federal funding to provide family planning services from notifying your parents if you go there for birth control. Finally, while many states require parental notification or consent for abortion, these laws do not apply to emergency contraception (Find out more about the difference between emergency contraception and abortion here).


Still, some health care providers may have their own policy of notifying your parents or getting their consent before prescribing emergency contraceptive pills ("morning after pills" or "day after pills") to someone who is under the age of 18. Be sure to ask if the medical care you receive will be confidential and, if not, you may want to contact someone else to get emergency contraception (Click here to find an emergency contraception provider near you).


On August 24, 2006, the FDA approved Plan B for nonprescription sale to women and men aged 18 and older. Women 17 and younger still need a prescription. Click here for more information on how the age restriction will be enforced and whether older people — parents, siblings, or friends — will be able to buy Plan B to give to women under 18.

 

Emergency contraceptive pills are more effective the sooner you take them. But getting a doctor's appointment and buying the pills takes time -- wasted time that may make the pills less effective. That's why many leading medical associations, including the Society for Adolescent Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have criticized the FDA age limit for making it harder for teens in the US to prevent pregnancy. If you already have emergency contraceptive pills in your medicine cabinet, you can start using them right away – without having to go to your health care provider to get a prescription and to the pharmacy to buy the pills. For these reasons, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists – the leading professional association of doctors who specialize in women’s health – recommends getting emergency contraceptive pills before they are needed.

----------

This website is operated by the Office of Population Research at Princeton University and by the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals and has no connection with any pharmaceutical company or for-profit organization. This website is peer reviewed by a panel of independent experts.

website design by DDA