By Rebecca Henely
Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticized U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for making the morning-after pill unavailable to women younger than 17 at a LaGuardia Community College event Monday morning.
“It would be much better if these young girls didn’t get pregnant, but once that happens I think this should be available,” Bloomberg said.
The morning-after pill, also known as emergency contraceptive pills, do not cause abortions but deliver a large dose of levonorgestrel, a synthetic hormone found in most birth control pills. They are meant to be taken within a few days after having sex to prevent pregnancy. The pills are available to women 17 and older.
Sebelius made the decision despite the recommendation of FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg, who worked as the city’s Health Commissioner for Mayor David Dinkins.
The secretary said she acted not because of politics but because she did not believe the scientific data collected justified making the pill available to all ages.
