Updated

A New Jersey man claims a local Rite Aid refused to sell him the morning-after pill because he is male, prompting the American Civil Liberties Union to launch a battle against the drugstore's alleged discrimination.

Andrew Andrade, a 25-year-old graduate student, was trying to buy Plan B for his girlfriend last month. According to FDA guidelines, anyone 17 and over can purchase the drug, which is an over-the-counter form of emergency contraception also known as the "morning-after pill."

"They said, 'I can't sell it to you because you are male,'" Andrade, of Jersey City, said Wednesday, according to The Star-Ledger.

"I was really upset and I knew they were wrong," he added, according to the paper.

ACLU-NJ Deputy Director Jeanne LoCicero sent a letter to the Pennsylvania-based national chain on behalf of Andrade, claiming Rite Aid's refusal to sell him the drug "amounts to discrimination."

"Couples who share responsibility for healthcare decisions should not face unnecessary obstacles," LoCicero said. "Pharmacists and other staff do not have the personal discretion to interfere with the fundamental rights surrounding some of the most intimate decisions a person can make."

The ACLU said in a statement it is seeking an apology for Andrade and "corrective action" for Rite Aid's violations.

Rite Aid spokeswoman Ashley Flower said Wednesday the company is looking into the incident to see what happened, according to The Star-Ledger.

"Our policy is to sell the Plan B product to anyone, male or female, 17 years and older, as long as they have valid, government-issued identification," she said.