A long overdue decision to make the morning-after pill available to women 18 and older without a prescription will have a positive impact on women at Penn State.

In August, the Food and Drug Administration approved selling the Plan B emergency contraceptive pill over the counter, and University Health Services has already announced plans to offer the emergency contraception by the beginning of next semester.

Before the FDA's decision, women in need of emergency contraception were required to visit a doctor and obtain a prescription.

There were two fundamental problems with this restriction on Plan B.

First, visiting a doctor takes time, and time is of the essence in these situations. The effectiveness of the pill decreases dramatically five days after intercourse. Making a doctor's appointment can be time consuming, and in this case, costly in more ways than one.

The second, and just as important, reason is that many women would be too embarrassed or scared to go through the steps of obtaining a prescription.

Offering Plan B over the counter eliminates both of these issues and gives women more control over their own bodies.

Though scientifically and methodically different, Plan B operates under the same premise as condoms and birth control. The idea is to prevent pregnancy.

Some have criticized the FDA's decision, citing the tired argument that over-the-counter contraception removes the need for women to engage in responsible and safe sex.

But the critics miss the point.

Making more methods of contraception available to women will inevitably give women more opportunities to be responsible and make decisions in the best interests of those involved.

Sex isn't going away, but science has given us more effective ways of preventing unwanted pregnancies, and we as a society would be foolish not to take advantage of it.