We were 19, living together in Bothell, working minimum wage jobs, just barely paying the bills.

I wasn’t on birth control. So when my boyfriend realized that the condom broke, we knew what we had to do. We couldn’t become parents. I mean, he could hardly take care of himself.

So we did what any responsible teen couple would do in this position: We got Plan B (and I made an appointment at Planned Parenthood so I could get birth control.)

And now, thanks to the April 5 Federal Court ruling, all teens, not just those 17 and up, will have the ability to get emergency contraception over the counter.

Studies have shown that EC is safe for use by women of all ages and that teens have equally as successful health outcomes as adult women when using it.

Studies also show that teens are as likely as adults to use EC correctly and that both groups report little, if any, difficulty using the method.

So instead of shaming teens who take control of their lives by seeking EC, who don’t want to end up on “16 and Pregnant,” let’s applaud Judge Edward Korman for this ruling.

–Rozi Hutter

CWU English graduate student & Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest communication intern