In a study of more than 1,000 teenage girls, researchers found that they are able to understand information on emergency-contraception labels as well as adults.

Researchers say the new findings add support to claims that emergency contraceptives like the FDA-approved Plan B should be made available over-the-counter as it is for adults.

Plan B, also known as the “morning-after pill” can prevent pregnancy within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. The pill has been approved in the US for over-the-counter use since 2006.

However, the FDA still requires teens to have a prescription to get Plan B contraceptives, which lengthens the time between having unprotected sex and getting access to the pill.

Plan B is more effective when taken sooner rather than later. After the first 12 hours of having unprotected sex, the risk of pregnancy increases to 50 percent. Critics say the FDA’s requirement for prescription among teens increases the risk of unwanted pregnancy.

"I believe the potential implications of our study are to help the FDA decide to make Plan B available over-the-counter without an age restriction," lead researcher Dr. Miriam Cremer, of New York University School of Medicine, told Reuters Health.

Cremer and colleagues asked 1,085 girls ages 12 to 17 to read the Plan B labeling and complete a survey to determine their understanding of the treatment.

Of those who completed the survey, 92 percent understood the labeling, as compared to 93 percent of adult women in a 2002 study. Additionally, 83 percent of teens said acknowledged understanding that Plan B must be taken within 72 hours, compared to 85 percent of adult women in the previous study.

Researchers reported their findings in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology on Wednesday.

According to Reuters, a federal court last week ordered the FDA to allow over-the-counter access to Plan B to 17-year-olds. The court also urged the agency to consider making the pill accessible to all ages.

Cremer said the team’s findings “demonstrate comprehension equal to adults of the key points necessary for safe and effective use of emergency contraception.”