WaPo Hits Obama Administration Decision on Plan B From the Left

Let it not be said that the Washington Post are toadies for the Obama administration. They sometimes chastise the White House for not being left-wing enough. 

For example, on Saturday the Washington Post editorial board weighed in to the left of the Obama administration on the recent call by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's move to block the FDA's recommendation to allow birth control pill Plan B from being sold without prescription over-the-counter regardless of the patient being a minor.

"[W]e understand Mr. Obama’s instinctive reaction, as the father of two daughters, that parents should be involved before girls resort to emergency contraception. But the Obama administration ultimately made the wrong call on this difficult and emotionally charged issue," the Post editorial board complained.

"It is obviously preferable for parents to be involved in their children’s health care, whether the children are 11 or 16, but girls engaged in sexual activity are not necessarily inclined to enlist parental help," the Post editorialists added. "Time is of the essence when it comes to emergency contraception; the sooner it is used, the more likely it is to work."

According to WebMD, Plan B typically works by preventing ovulation or interfering with fertilization but it may also in some cases prevent "implantation of a fertilized egg," which would mean it can amount to a chemically-induced form of abortion prescribed over-the-counter to minor girls without parental consent or knowledge.

According to drugs.com, "You should be examined by your doctor within 3 weeks after taking Plan B. The doctor will need to confirm that you are not pregnant and that Plan B has not caused any harmful effects." What's more, drugs.com recommends prospective Plan B users to "tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have diabetes" as "[y]ou may not be able to use Plan B, or you may need special tests during treatment."

Neither of those facts were mentioned in the Post editorial, nor did the Post consider that minor girls hiding the fact of their sexual activity from their parents are probably also unlikely to schedule a random visit to their OB/GYN.