Mexican pharmacies under a law approved last year have begun selling emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse -- without a prescription to minors, including some U.S. residents, the San Antonio Express-News reports. According to the Express-News, Mexican law does not require parental consent for minors to purchase contraceptives, including EC. Antonio Valdez, a Mexican pharmacist, said many of his customers have been young, and some of them have been from the U.S. The Express-News reports that the law has made acquiring EC "as easy as a short trip with no questions asked." Betty Hoover of Planned Parenthood Center of El Paso said, "Certainly with the availability of [EC] across the border, some teenagers may decide to take advantage of that" (Kocherga, San Antonio Express-News, 1/24).

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