"...On August 18, 2006 Plan B® emergency contraception (two .75mg levonorgestrel tablets) was finally granted over-the-counter (OTC) status for women 18 and older." (Source: http://www.rhtp.org/contraception/emergency/adolescents.asp)
In March 2009 the age restriction was lowered from 18 to 17 for Plan B, and 2 other products are available to to girls 17 and under.
This shows the progress made on this issue over recent years, and yet the issues raised by this debate still echo throughout US culture.
Many people have argued against Emergency Contraception being sold over the counter on the grounds that it encourages teenagers not to practice safe sex, and indeed that it encourages them to have sex.
These are both issues that are still widely debated separately.
The US federal government policy on education teens about sex has fundamentally changed under the Obama Administration. The Responsible Education about Life Act (2007) acknowledges that "Abstinence - Only - until - Marriage" is a naive and idealistic policy, and even states that: "Research shows that teenagers who receive sexuality education that includes discussion of contraception are more likely than those who receive abstinence-only messages to delay sexual activity and to use contraceptives when they do become sexually active. (Source: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?) c110:S.972:)
These themes have been taken up in the US through the arts and media, most notably in recent popular culture by the hugely popular TV show "GLEE", which throughout addresses the issue of teen pregnancy. The ongoing storyline in Season One is the head cheerleader's pregnancy, how she tries to hide it, and deal with it. The theme is continuously addressed through Season 2, particularly in Episode 15, with Gwyneth Paltrow as the progressive substitute Sex Ed teacher, Holly Holiday.
This only serves to show that it is still a theme widely acknowledged and debated throughout US media and popular culture.
