36. Plan B Restrictions Loosen, but Not Enough

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/05/01/plan_b_emergency_contraception_rules_soften_for_adults_but_not_for_teens.html

Amanda Marcotte's article "Plan B Restrictions Loosen, but Not Enough" talked about how the new law regarding the access to the medicine Plan B has become more leniet, yet not enough. In the introductory paragraph, the author introduced a brief summary of what was happening regarding the situation - that the once behind the counter drug was now going to be accessible for teens as young as 15 as long as they had an identification card to prove their age. This set up a stage for the reader to know what the following paragraphs would focus on. The second paragraph explained how the FDA's decision to require ID's when purchasing the drug was unusual, due to the fact that the Obama administration was still in the process of reviewing a court ruling which demanded the suspension of all ages. Hence, Marcotte noted that if the Department of justice appealed, it would make them look like "fools who don't know how to pick their battlefields." The third paragraph presented the pros of having Plan B on the pharmacy shelves, and in the last, the author presented the cons of requiring individuals to show their ID's.

Marcotte's purpose for this article was to inform her audience, most likely individuals who were looking forward to being able to buy the Plan B about the slight changes in the new law. Her appeal to authorities such as the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Department of Justice, Teva support her arguments with credible sources. In addition, the facts used throughout the article contribute in showing her understanding of the issue discussed. Throughout the article, it was evident that Marcotte agreed with the changes as she put herself in one of the buyers' shoes, but still thought that they were not enough because she further presented the drawbacks in the fourth paragraph of the article. In addition, her pattern of development seemed to be one of persuasion, as she presented a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics, that teenage girls should all have some dose of Plan B nearby. The inclusion of this showed that Marcotte indeed did agree with the fact that all teenage girls should be able to purchase the Plan B and have them handy anytime.