NEW YORK, April 5 (UPI) -- A federal judge in New York Friday ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to allow the morning-after pill to be sold to teens without a prescription.

The ruling, which makes the drug available to anyone of any age, overturns a decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that girls under 17 must get a prescription to buy the contraceptive, CNN reported.


Groups opposed to the prescription requirement said it delays use of the drug. Emergency contraceptives are considered most effective if taken within 24 hours.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists last year recommended oral contraceptives be sold over the counter to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.