The Center for Reproductive Rights is not surprised by new allegations that the Food and Drug Administration was under the evangelical influence of the radical conservative doctor, W. David Hager, in deciding about Plan B. Since the agency rejected the emergency contraceptive for over-the-counter use last year, the Center has questioned the basis of that decision—as it blatantly ignores sound medicine and holds Plan B to a different and higher standard than other over-the-counter drugs.

According to news reports, Hager acknowledged in a public sermon that he was asked to write a memo to the FDA commissioner outlining why Plan B should not be made available without a prescription. This request came after the agency’s expert panel voted 23 to 4 in favor of over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraceptive. Hager believes his memo played a central role in the FDA’s rejection of that recommendation.

This latest evidence serves as yet another example of the FDA taking cues from factors other than science. According to the agency’s own regulations, a drug should be made available without a prescription when it is proven to be effective and safe for self-medication. And volumes of scientific research and international experience have proven that Plan B belongs on the drugstore shelves.

That’s why the Center has filed a lawsuit against the FDA, asking the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to order the agency to make Plan B available without a prescription for women of all ages.

Read more about the Center's work on Emergency Contraception.