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.