Welsh Girls As Young as 13 Can Get Morning-After Pill

Wales began a controversial new policy today that allows pharmacists to dispense the morning-after pill for free to girls as young as 13. The teens won't need a doctor's prescription or their parents' permission. It's part of a plan to cut down on teen pregnancy among Welsh girls, who have some of the highest rates in Europe, reports AP. The new rules allow women of all ages to get the pill without a prescription, but the part about giving it to teens under the age of consent (16) is drawing the most attention.

"This will be looked upon as a quick fix for girls," says the founder of the Christian group Comment on Reproductive Ethics. "It gives them carte blanche to do whatever they want without talking to their parents." Click to read about how the makers of Plan B want the pill available to girls as young as 11 in the US. (More morning after pill stories.)