Morning After Pill available to 15-YO girls OTC

[kenny]

FDA will allow girls as young as 15 to buy a pill without a prescription that will prevent pregnancy after intercourse ... AKA Plan B ... AKA The Morning After Pill.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/30/health/morning-after-pill/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

To you is this good or bad?
Why?

 

[sonnyjane]

I couldn't be MORE in favor. The easier the access, the less embarrassing the process of getting Plan B, the more likely teens (and adults) that need it will use it.

 

[kenny]

IMO, it's good.
Children having children is not good.
Some teens will not go to their doctor parent, teacher, priest to tell them what's going on.

Sure, I'd rather boys and girls would abstain till their mid-20s like I did, but some won't.
I'd rather a pill prevents pregnancy than an abortion happen or an unwanted baby happens and a girl's life is made impossible by teen motherhood.

 

[Enerchi]

Teens are going to have sex regardless of the availability of birth control, and with or without parental consent or approval.

Having spent 25+ years of my nursing career, dealing with youth & young adults and sexuality/birth control/pregnancy ....and alternatives, having easily accessible OTC alternatives such as the MAP, is a good thing, IMO. I'd rather they have a relatively simple option available to them within the first 72 hours of unprotected sex, instead of being faced with a much harder emotional and physical choice to make if they were to become pregnant.

 

[yennyfire]

Teens are going to have sex regardless of the availability of birth control, and with or without parental consent or approval.

Having spent 25+ years of my nursing career, dealing with youth & young adults and sexuality/birth control/pregnancy ....and alternatives, having easily accessible OTC alternatives such as the MAP, is a good thing, IMO. I'd rather they have a relatively simple option available to them within the first 72 hours of unprotected sex, instead of being faced with a much harder emotional and physical choice to make if they were to become pregnant.

Well said Enerchi....I couldn't agree more!

 

[SB621]

Teens are going to have sex regardless of the availability of birth control, and with or without parental consent or approval.

Having spent 25+ years of my nursing career, dealing with youth & young adults and sexuality/birth control/pregnancy ....and alternatives, having easily accessible OTC alternatives such as the MAP, is a good thing, IMO. I'd rather they have a relatively simple option available to them within the first 72 hours of unprotected sex, instead of being faced with a much harder emotional and physical choice to make if they were to become pregnant.

Well said Enerchi....I couldn't agree more!

BAMM agreed! Teens can have sex, but that doesn't mean by any means they will be responsible about it. I'm grateful it is out there for teens to give them a choice if that is the path they wish to take. Children should not be having children.

 

[iLander]

Oh, HONESTLY! Can't these kids use condoms? Has AIDS just disappeared? Are STD's a thing of the past?

Stupid kids!

DD told me about one of the kids at school who buys these pills routinely for his girlfriend. Routinely!

I'm glad this is out there for emergencies, but kids will stop using condoms entirely, and that's a whole new can of worms (Or crabs. Or whatever).

Not that the little idiots are actually using condoms.

Damn kids.

Get off my lawn.

 

[iheartscience]

I couldn't be MORE in favor. The easier the access, the less embarrassing the process of getting Plan B, the more likely teens (and adults) that need it will use it.

Ditto. I don't understand the age restriction, though. Is there an actual medical reason? IMO it should be available to all sexually active people. I mean it's doubtful a kid is going to buy it for fun. And kids start having sex way earlier than 15 these days.

I also think birth control pills should be available OTC. My sister is living in Spain right now and you buy your birth control at the drug store without a prescription, and it's around $15 euros, so cheaper than here even with insurance. My only caveat is that now birth control is covered by insurance, which I wouldn't want taken away. However, I do think if BC was available OTC teenagers could buy it and use it without having to tell their doctor or parents, and hopefully prevent unwanted pregnancies.

ETA I don't understand the anti-abortion people who are against policies like this. The morning after pill does NOT cause an abortion. And of course, neither does birth control. If the anti-abortion crowd was truly concerned with preventing pregnancy and thus abortions, they should be handing out birth control and condoms for free, and educating students EARLY about how to prevent pregnancy. That anti-abortion groups are opposed to the morning after pill, sex ed, birth control, etc. proves that they are actually just concerned with controlling women's sexuality.

 

[Kelli]

Not all kids are idiots. Occasionally condoms break, and some kids are only having sex with monogamous partners. These should absolutely be available for oops situations.
Also, if idiots are using these in lieu of condoms, better that such idiots are at least NOT breeding.
I'm in favor.

 

[Kelli]

Excellent post, thing 2. Wish pricescope had a like button.

 

[sonnyjane]

ETA I don't understand the anti-abortion people who are against policies like this. The morning after pill does NOT cause an abortion. And of course, neither does birth control. If the anti-abortion crowd was truly concerned with preventing pregnancy and thus abortions, they should be handing out birth control and condoms for free, and educating students EARLY about how to prevent pregnancy. That anti-abortion groups are opposed to the morning after pill, sex ed, birth control, etc. proves that they are actually just concerned with controlling women's sexuality.

As is the case with other issues, a little bit of research would go a long way, but not everyone wants to do the research! People that think Plan B is an abortion pill haven't looked into the mechanics of how the pill works and honestly are probably content not doing so. The only group I can see legitimately opposing this is Catholics because their philosophy is that if it's meant to happen, it will happen, and technically Plan B, while not an abortion pill, is preventing implantation, i.e. "meddling" with the "grand plan".

 

[yssie]

I couldn't be MORE in favor. The easier the access, the less embarrassing the process of getting Plan B, the more likely teens (and adults) that need it will use it.

Ditto. I don't understand the age restriction, though. Is there an actual medical reason? IMO it should be available to all sexually active people. I mean it's doubtful a kid is going to buy it for fun. And kids start having sex way earlier than 15 these days.

I also think birth control pills should be available OTC. My sister is living in Spain right now and you buy your birth control at the drug store without a prescription, and it's around $15 euros, so cheaper than here even with insurance. My only caveat is that now birth control is covered by insurance, which I wouldn't want taken away. However, I do think if BC was available OTC teenagers could buy it and use it without having to tell their doctor or parents, and hopefully prevent unwanted pregnancies.

ETA I don't understand the anti-abortion people who are against policies like this. The morning after pill does NOT cause an abortion. And of course, neither does birth control. If the anti-abortion crowd was truly concerned with preventing pregnancy and thus abortions, they should be handing out birth control and condoms for free, and educating students EARLY about how to prevent pregnancy. That anti-abortion groups are opposed to the morning after pill, sex ed, birth control, etc. proves that they are actually just concerned with controlling women's sexuality.

BIG F'N DITTO. To all of it.

 

[Enerchi]

PlanB, the morning after pill or MAP, prevents implantation should an egg be fertilized as a result if the unprotected sexual contact. It does not end a pregnancy or initiate a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage). The so called abortion pill is a whole different thing, at one point called R U 486 but I'm not sure what the current name is.

plan B is available to anyone OTC and males can pick up for their partner, in most places, but there could be individual restrictions set out by each pharmacy.

 

[Circe]

I wonder if the people who oppose this sort of thing were ever ... you know ... KIDS.

I have been the de facto sex counselor for everybody I know since I was 14, because apparently I have a face that screams "I do research."

I have counseled friends through; AIDS scares, pregnancy scares, various STD scares; proper treatment for UTIs, yeast infections, trich (which is a party BELIEVE YOU ME), a general disbelief in condoms (treated with a blow upside the head) and a disinclination to take any responsibility for consequences ( treated with a MUCH SHARPER blow).

I still do not understand how anybody anywhere thinks letting those scared straight kids get advice from the likes of 14-year-ME is a boon for anybody.

That said, progress! Now if only they were entitled to education in their schools about what it is the Pill DOES.

Progress, riiiiiiiiiiight?

 

[JaneSmith]

I couldn't be MORE in favor. The easier the access, the less embarrassing the process of getting Plan B, the more likely teens (and adults) that need it will use it.

Ditto. I don't understand the age restriction, though. Is there an actual medical reason? IMO it should be available to all sexually active people. I mean it's doubtful a kid is going to buy it for fun. And kids start having sex way earlier than 15 these days.

I also think birth control pills should be available OTC. My sister is living in Spain right now and you buy your birth control at the drug store without a prescription, and it's around $15 euros, so cheaper than here even with insurance. My only caveat is that now birth control is covered by insurance, which I wouldn't want taken away. However, I do think if BC was available OTC teenagers could buy it and use it without having to tell their doctor or parents, and hopefully prevent unwanted pregnancies.

ETA I don't understand the anti-abortion people who are against policies like this. The morning after pill does NOT cause an abortion. And of course, neither does birth control. If the anti-abortion crowd was truly concerned with preventing pregnancy and thus abortions, they should be handing out birth control and condoms for free, and educating students EARLY about how to prevent pregnancy. That anti-abortion groups are opposed to the morning after pill, sex ed, birth control, etc. proves that they are actually just concerned with controlling women's sexuality.

BIG F'N DITTO. To all of it.

I agree. I'll add that even if it did cause abortion I'd still be in favour (with appropriate follow up for the person taking it).
Birth control and abortion should be free, easy to access, and shame-free.

 

[iLander]

Not all kids are idiots. Occasionally condoms break, and some kids are only having sex with monogamous partners. These should absolutely be available for oops situations.
Also, if idiots are using these in lieu of condoms, better that such idiots are at least NOT breeding.
I'm in favor.

Oh, I'm for it, don't get me wrong. All for it. I think I said that, but not loudly enough.

I just wish it came with a brochure that said "Next time, consider a condom. They prevent pregnancy AND STD's".

I'm the one that voted "Other". I wished there was a button that said "Good, but . . . "

Kids need to get over the idea that STD's can't happen to them, especially when 50% of the population have contracted genital warts (http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/308/hpv-facts.html) at some point. One out of two. Two people having sex, chances are one of you . . . Pregnancy is not the only consequence of unprotected sex, we need to make this clear. I say, make the manufacturer give out a brochure with every pill. An informative brochure. And a website.

And don't get me started on that ridiculous abstinence-only teaching . . .

 

[sonnyjane]

Not all kids are idiots. Occasionally condoms break, and some kids are only having sex with monogamous partners. These should absolutely be available for oops situations.
Also, if idiots are using these in lieu of condoms, better that such idiots are at least NOT breeding.
I'm in favor.

Oh, I'm for it, don't get me wrong. All for it. I think I said that, but not loudly enough.

I just wish it came with a brochure that said "Next time, consider a condom. They prevent pregnancy AND STD's".

I'm the one that voted "Other". I wished there was a button that said "Good, but . . . "

Kids need to get over the idea that STD's can't happen to them, especially when 50% of the population have contracted genital warts (http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/308/hpv-facts.html) at some point. One out of two. Two people having sex, chances are one of you . . . Pregnancy is not the only consequence of unprotected sex, we need to make this clear. I say, make the manufacturer give out a brochure with every pill. An informative brochure. And a website.

And don't get me started on that ridiculous abstinence-only teaching . . .

You know, it's not just "kids these days"... http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/senior-citizens-are-having-more-sex-and-contracting-more-stds-than-youth/

 

[iLander]

You know, it's not just "kids these days"... http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/senior-citizens-are-having-more-sex-and-contracting-more-stds-than-youth/

Oh for cryin' out loud!

 

[iheartscience]

I couldn't be MORE in favor. The easier the access, the less embarrassing the process of getting Plan B, the more likely teens (and adults) that need it will use it.

Ditto. I don't understand the age restriction, though. Is there an actual medical reason? IMO it should be available to all sexually active people. I mean it's doubtful a kid is going to buy it for fun. And kids start having sex way earlier than 15 these days.

I also think birth control pills should be available OTC. My sister is living in Spain right now and you buy your birth control at the drug store without a prescription, and it's around $15 euros, so cheaper than here even with insurance. My only caveat is that now birth control is covered by insurance, which I wouldn't want taken away. However, I do think if BC was available OTC teenagers could buy it and use it without having to tell their doctor or parents, and hopefully prevent unwanted pregnancies.

ETA I don't understand the anti-abortion people who are against policies like this. The morning after pill does NOT cause an abortion. And of course, neither does birth control. If the anti-abortion crowd was truly concerned with preventing pregnancy and thus abortions, they should be handing out birth control and condoms for free, and educating students EARLY about how to prevent pregnancy. That anti-abortion groups are opposed to the morning after pill, sex ed, birth control, etc. proves that they are actually just concerned with controlling women's sexuality.

BIG F'N DITTO. To all of it.

I agree. I'll add that even if it did cause abortion I'd still be in favour (with appropriate follow up for the person taking it).
Birth control and abortion should be free, easy to access, and shame-free.

Ditto to you as well.

 

[TooPatient]

Not all kids are idiots. Occasionally condoms break, and some kids are only having sex with monogamous partners. These should absolutely be available for oops situations.
Also, if idiots are using these in lieu of condoms, better that such idiots are at least NOT breeding.
I'm in favor.

Oh, I'm for it, don't get me wrong. All for it. I think I said that, but not loudly enough.

I just wish it came with a brochure that said "Next time, consider a condom. They prevent pregnancy AND STD's".

I'm the one that voted "Other". I wished there was a button that said "Good, but . . . "

Kids need to get over the idea that STD's can't happen to them, especially when 50% of the population have contracted genital warts (http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/308/hpv-facts.html) at some point. One out of two. Two people having sex, chances are one of you . . . Pregnancy is not the only consequence of unprotected sex, we need to make this clear. I say, make the manufacturer give out a brochure with every pill. An informative brochure. And a website.

And don't get me started on that ridiculous abstinence-only teaching . . .

I voted "Other" because I'm in agreement with iLander.

Kids are going to do what they are going to do. All I have to do is think back to when I was that age and
I'd much rather have an OTC option available for them than waiting and going with something much more serious and harder (emotionally and physically).

That said, STD's are still a problem. They NEED to learn about the consequences of their choices. I'd much rather the school push abstinence than recklessness, but that needs to be done in such a way that they are still aware of all the things out there that they should be careful of. (If I'd been forced to look at pictures of people dying of AIDS or read detailed descriptions about the other STD's that might have been enough to scare me straight!)

 

[alisonia333]

Oh, HONESTLY! Can't these kids use condoms? Has AIDS just disappeared? Are STD's a thing of the past?

Stupid kids!

DD told me about one of the kids at school who buys these pills routinely for his girlfriend. Routinely!

I'm glad this is out there for emergencies, but kids will stop using condoms entirely, and that's a whole new can of worms (Or crabs. Or whatever).

Not that the little idiots are actually using condoms.

Damn kids.

Get off my lawn.

Honestly, you may have heard of one person who buys these routinely, but at $40 a pop, I highly doubt that kids are going to "stop using condoms entirely" simply because this pill is more available to them now. The morning after pills make many women very nauseous due to the high dose of hormones and I certainly would not consider it as a regular form of BC if I was a teen. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I am 100% in support of Plan B being available to teens. That said the first thing that popped into my mind was, as iLander mentioned, this would potentially mean a young couple might not use a condom if they had not planned ahead and then conclude they can just buy the morning after pill and all is solved (except the risk of STDs). However, Plan B is expensive so it would mean it's used occasionally or eventually a teen could end up pregnant b/c a condom wasn't used and the young teens didn't have the $. Basically, how many teens can be paying $50 (according to the link Kenny provided) per time? Maybe there should be thought into how much it costs so it's actually affordable to teens. Plus, not to mention, teens can't always have the quick access to the pharmacy/drug store.

We all know young teens do have sex and I don't think we can stop them, so this should be available, so I voted yes based on this.

And, just from another perspective...my friend became pregnant in HS and had her baby. Then she married later and had a second child. When her children entered their teens, she put condoms in the bathroom for them. She didn't know what their relationship statuses were and rather than ask, she made sure both had easy access.

 

[kenny]

ETA I don't understand the anti-abortion people who are against policies like this. The morning after pill does NOT cause an abortion.

Maybe it does.

Here is a quote from the CNN article I linked to in my OP, "This drug stops an egg from being released from the ovary, or preventing fertilization of the egg by sperm.
If there has been fertilization, Plan B may prevent a fertilized egg from embedding in the uterus.
But if the egg has already been implanted in the uterus, the morning-after pill will not work."

It may be splitting hairs but very important hairs since some people believe life begins at fertilization, not implantation which can be days after fertilization.
I imagine in the mind of some the MAP ends these 'lives' that are not implanted yet.
Is that not abortion?
Here's Wiki's abortion definition, "Abortion is the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability."

Don't get me wrong.
I strongly support this pill being available to girls not just at 15 but at the youngest age at which a pregnancy has ever occurred.
I think an 11 year old getting pregnant is even worse than a 15 year old.
ETA OMG Snopes says the youngest girl to have a baby is 5 years old. it was in 1939 in Peru!
http://www.snopes.com/pregnant/medina.asp

Anyway, I just don't think it is accurate to state that the MAP does NOT cause an abortion since it can cause a fertilized egg to be discharged instead of implanted.

 

[JulieN]

It doesn't cause an abortion. It definitively does not cause abortions. The information only says that to cover the drug maker. In the past, they thought that perhaps it was possible that it would prevent a fertilized egg from implanting into the uterus, which is still NOT an abortion. However, the research does not show that to be the case.

 

[arkieb1]

I voted other too!!! Being a former teacher I can say a lot of 14 and 15 year olds are having sex/experimenting. Some as young as 12 and 13 were also. I am not opposed to the morning after pill, BUT I have seen gangs of "cool" boys invite girls to parties and pressure them into things they don't want to do. Sometimes they drug them, sometimes they get them drunk, sometimes they film them, sometimes they just pressure the hell out of them. Frequently quite young girls get depicted as sluts on facebook reputations trashed, if they do have sex they get trashed, if they won't co-operate they also ruin their reputations, just for fun.

I think it would be really good if we taught our boys to not only be responsible but respectful to girls/women. My fear is it's not only allowing more STDs its also encouraging this myth that the onus of responsibility is on the girl. It should be available if necessary but not in place of teaching young people both boys and girls to respect themselves and others.....

 

[perry]

I voted other too!!! Being a former teacher I can say a lot of 14 and 15 year olds are having sex/experimenting. Some as young as 12 and 13 were also. I am not opposed to the morning after pill, BUT I have seen gangs of "cool" boys invite girls to parties and pressure them into things they don't want to do. Sometimes they drug them, sometimes they get them drunk, sometimes they film them, sometimes they just pressure the hell out of them. Frequently quite young girls get depicted as sluts on facebook reputations trashed, if they do have sex they get trashed, if they won't co-operate they also ruin their reputations, just for fun.

I think it would be really good if we taught our boys to not only be responsible but respectful to girls/women. My fear is it's not only allowing more STDs its also encouraging this myth that the onus of responsibility is on the girl. It should be available if necessary but not in place of teaching young people both boys and girls to respect themselves and others.....

So what has changed concerning sexual over the decades. With the exception of routine filming - this sounds exactly like the late 1960's when I was that age. Some girls and boys were having sex in the 6th grade. Some cool boys did invite the "hot" girls to parties with the intent of sex, etc. The reputation thing was much more important then than now.

Concerning photography and filming in those days: There were Polaroid camera's and instant pictures for those who did not have access to a darkroom for a film camera (almost all home developed and printed pictures were black and white) - and color film of nudes could be developed and printed by sending the film to one of several photo labs who advertised in the adds in the back of Photography Magazine for photo labs that specifically developed and printed nudes (and developed movie films with nudes). If you had a Super 8 film camera (or its predecessor) you could also do filming and send the film for processing into one of the same photo labs that did nude prints.

I keep being amazed by all the people who seem to think that sexual behavior has fundamentally changed over the decades. Spend some time researching the age when someone can get married historically - and the age of consent historically - and you will see that not much has really changed on how soon young people start having sex for thousands of years.

As for the approval of Plan B - I don't understand the age restriction at all. It just should be available.

Have a great day,

Perry

 

[arkieb1]

Perry - I can tell you what has changed. Kids target a specific underage girl get her messed up via drugs or booze that part hasn't changed. Taking pics also hasn't changed. What has changed is putting it on the internet, putting she is a slut, and various other nasty words on facebook, talking about her on twitter so that all her peers at school then avoid her or send her hate mail. Then she has to move school, put up with years of torment and social isolation, or she kills herself.

The number of STDs since the 60s has increased, the nasty way kids isolate and pick on each other in schools has increased and suicide has also increased. Look at the AIDS/HIV campaigns of the 80s who had heard of AIDS/HIV in the 60s, it was the era of free love after all.....

The morning after pill seems to make the onus of responsibility the girls problem. No doubt that was also the attitude back in the 60s and 70s when the pill was invented. But I'm sorry I think its time we taught our young people STDs and unwanted pregnancy is everyone's problem not just the poor girl who might have chosen to have had sex but she might have also been gang raped at a party.

Its time we taught our young men to be decent human beings, to be responsible when you have sex with someone, and to not post the gory details on the internet. If the morning after pill helps girls/women great, if it legitimises boys not using condoms because they see the morning after pill as a viable alternative then that isn't so great.

 

[Kelli]

"Oh, I'm for it, don't get me wrong. All for it. I think I said that, but not loudly enough.

I just wish it came with a brochure that said "Next time, consider a condom. They prevent pregnancy AND STD's".

I'm the one that voted "Other". I wished there was a button that said "Good, but . . . "

Kids need to get over the idea that STD's can't happen to them, especially when 50% of the population have contracted genital warts (http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/308/hpv-facts.html) at some point. One out of two. Two people having sex, chances are one of you . . . Pregnancy is not the only consequence of unprotected sex, we need to make this clear. I say, make the manufacturer give out a brochure with every pill. An informative brochure. And a website.

And don't get me started on that ridiculous abstinence-only teaching . . . "


I agree, but I'd be willing to bet these pills DO come with a brochure. Even my birth control pills come with one. Doesn't mean kids will read it. I think sex education, and LOTS OF IT, is key. That, in my opinion, should be drilled into kids' heads as much as anything else they learn. That and responsibility to the boys as others have pointed out. Man if anything gets me riled up it's men and boys disrespecting and taking advantage of young girls. Burns me right up.

 

[House Cat]

Oh, HONESTLY! Can't these kids use condoms? Has AIDS just disappeared? Are STD's a thing of the past?

Stupid kids!

DD told me about one of the kids at school who buys these pills routinely for his girlfriend. Routinely!

I'm glad this is out there for emergencies, but kids will stop using condoms entirely, and that's a whole new can of worms (Or crabs. Or whatever).

Not that the little idiots are actually using condoms.

Damn kids.

Get off my lawn.

You are talking about human beings, who's brains aren't fully developed, with impulse control issues because of the fact that their brains aren't fully developed yet.

No, they won't always use condoms, among other stupid things. Trial and error (over and over on the same thing) is how they learn. This is why it is good that the morning after pill is available to them. Better to learn by taking a pill that makes them sick for a few hours, than to learn by (stupid) trial and error on another human being.

Signed,
A Teen Mom

 

[momhappy]

Not all kids are idiots. Occasionally condoms break, and some kids are only having sex with monogamous partners. These should absolutely be available for oops situations.
Also, if idiots are using these in lieu of condoms, better that such idiots are at least NOT breeding.
I'm in favor.

Completely agree. If there are individuals out there who are irresponsible enough to use the morning after pill in lieu of condoms, then we certainly don't need them to be reproducing...