by Sarah Torre | blog.heritage.org

A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has some parents and physicians concerned—and rightly so.

The statement recommends that pediatricians counsel adolescent patients on some of the most commonly used forms of “emergency contraception” in the U.S., specifically recommending that all teenagers receive counseling and advance prescriptions for use of drugs such as Plan B and Plan B One-Step.

Also referred to as the “” pill, Plan B is advertised to prevent pregnancy up to 72 hours after unprotected sex by preventing ovulation, but in some instances, the drug can potentially prevent implantation of an already-conceived embryo—effectively causing a very early abortion.

Parents have a clear interest in the medical care of their minor children, especially when those decisions are of the magnitude of a potential abortion. In fact, last year when the Department of Health and Human Services declined to allow the non-prescription sale of Plan B to minors less than 17 years of age, President Obama lauded the decision, specifically noting parents’ interest in the medical decisions of minor children.

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