emergency contraception

European drug regulators are warning that the emergency contraceptive called Plan B does not work in women who weigh 176 pounds or more. The warning follows a September study showing an increased number of pregnancies in women who had taken Plan B.

The long battle for federal approval of Plan B emergency contraception appears to be over. But broader access to the medicine may not reduce the number of unintended pregnancies by much.

In a surprise move, a federal appeals court ruled that some "morning after" contraceptives must be made available without prescriptions now, even though the federal government is in the midst of appealing a lower court ruling that would make the pills widely available.

Days after President Obama became the first sitting president to speak before Planned Parenthood's national conference, the administration alienated some women's health groups with a controversial decision about access to emergency contraception.

The ruling could end a more than decade-long battle that has spanned two administrations. The decision overturns a controversial 2011 action by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius overruling the Food and Drug Administration's decision to allow sale of morning-after pill without a prescription or regard for a person's age.