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AAP Recommends Morning After Pill Rx


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I don't know, I can see both sides. There were a lot of girls in my high school who had babies by the time they were sixteen. If they'd had an rx for the morning after pill, I think their lives would have turned out much differently. One of my ex-boyfriend's sister has had so many abortions she's lost count.

 

Of course, then you get teens who think they can take it every other day without any problems, and that's not good either.

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Honestly, my first thought wasn't about the pro/con of the pill itself.

 

It was about the paitent care. Are we expecting ppl to remember potentially fatal side effects wks/mths after the Rx is filled? Seriously? Seems a dangerous idea, imo.

 

That's true. So I guess I can say that I'd be concerned about possible medical problems with this, but I don't have any moral qualms about it.

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Although I have no qualms about it personally, in my experience it will do little good. I went to high school in a state that at the time had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. Teens had access to every form of birth control, for free, without parental permission. Every teenage girl knew it. Yet, the rate kept climbing. Why? The issue wasn't a lack of birth control or s*x education, but a culture of people that wanted to be teen mothers for some reason. I was an outsider (moved there from another state), and I personally never understood that culture or why my peers didn't take advantage of birth control.

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Regardless of one's moral stand on the issue, I would agree with the medical concerns. Having something like that on hand, and letting a teen take it down the road when needed... you run into the potential for issues, especially if the teen doesn't go to a parent and let them know they're taking it, so that the parent can help watch for problems.

 

As a parent, I wouldn't want my minor child taking *any* medication of which I am not aware.

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Although I have no qualms about it personally, in my experience it will do little good. I went to high school in a state that at the time had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. Teens had access to every form of birth control, for free, without parental permission. Every teenage girl knew it. Yet, the rate kept climbing. Why? The issue wasn't a lack of birth control or s*x education, but a culture of people that wanted to be teen mothers for some reason. I was an outsider (moved there from another state), and I personally never understood that culture or why my peers didn't take advantage of birth control.

 

This is completely crazy to me. I experienced the same thing. My highschool was FULL of pregnant teen girls that were thrilled. I am all for educating safe practices, because thinking all people believe in abstinence before marriage is just delusional. HOwever having an rx just incase, well to me it would make logical sense that STDs are going to be on the rise. I mean oops, I have a pill just incase, so we don't have a cond*m, ok no problem. Teens can be totally stupid and in the moment. If there is something that solves the pregnancy issue AFTER, I can imagine this creating more health problems.

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Not that I've looked up the stats, but Plan B is very likely safer than an abortion or a pregnancy.
:thumbup1: To this and the recommendation.

 

I agree. I'm a bit squeamish about the moral aspects of Plan B, but not the medical ones. When I think of one of my former students who had already had three abortions by the time she finished 8th grade, I'm not even all that squeamish about the morality of it.

 

Christine

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Although I have no qualms about it personally, in my experience it will do little good. I went to high school in a state that at the time had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. Teens had access to every form of birth control, for free, without parental permission. Every teenage girl knew it. Yet, the rate kept climbing. Why? The issue wasn't a lack of birth control or s*x education, but a culture of people that wanted to be teen mothers for some reason. I was an outsider (moved there from another state), and I personally never understood that culture or why my peers didn't take advantage of birth control.

 

 

I just had a thought after reading this. A lot of teen girls who choose to have intercourse as teens (a lot not all) do so because they are insecure or looking for love. If a baby results from these circumstances they are way more likely to want that baby to help with the above issues. It's very sad.

I have moral issues with the "morning after" pill, but I too would be worried about just handing it out for medical reasons. Especially if parents don't know and can't watch for problems.

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I think to have an Rx for the morning after pill is completely absurd. With teens abusing nearly every drug Rx possible, doesn't anyone see how this could be a very scary slide as a replacement for real BC? (Not to mention, there is no protection from STI's like the PP suggested...) And, I say this as a person who has used the morning after pill as a teenager.

 

(Does that mean they will pass out pain pills, too? In case I break my arm and I "need" them?)

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As someone who is firmly pro-life, I think this might actually be a fabulous idea. We can debate about when life starts, but Plan B is designed to do what birth control pills do, so it's not any closer to abortion than b.c. pills are;

 

http://www.planbonestep.com/about-plan-b-one-step.aspx

 

As someone who had a baby at 16, despite being a parent who wants to know what's going on with my children, I do not think that teenage girls should feel like they have to go through their parents to get access to birth control. They may not legally be adults, but they are young women and if they are going to be sexually active, they need options for protecting themselves against a pregnancy they aren't ready for.

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Not that I've looked up the stats, but Plan B is very likely safer than an abortion or a pregnancy.

 

Isn't this something you take before you know that you're pregnant, just in case? I assume it isn't safer than NOT taking it, but couldn't there be teens out there taking it on a more or less regular basis? Esepcially if they're paranoid about pregnancy? I don't know how safe that would be.

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Isn't this something you take before you know that you're pregnant, just in case? I assume it isn't safer than NOT taking it, but couldn't there be teens out there taking it on a more or less regular basis? Esepcially if they're paranoid about pregnancy? I don't know how safe that would be.

 

Or those that will wait and take it when they "discover" they are pregnant, instead of that 120 hour window? What then?

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Isn't this something you take before you know that you're pregnant, just in case? I assume it isn't safer than NOT taking it, but couldn't there be teens out there taking it on a more or less regular basis? Esepcially if they're paranoid about pregnancy? I don't know how safe that would be.

 

I would imagine that the cost for buying it repeatedly would be a deterrent to this sort of misuse; if the teen is able to spend that amount, likely she would just take birth control pills instead. (it is being offered as an Rx, yes? but not free?)

 

Or those that will wait and take it when they "discover" they are pregnant, instead of that 120 hour window? What then?

 

I could be mistaken, but I beieve it would be ineffective that much later/that far into things.

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I'm not even getting into the moral issues, b/c that's a totally individual thing.

 

I think it's horribly irresponsible patient care, esp when you're talking minors.

 

:iagree: The pill has caused problems in both me and my mother. With that sort of family history I plan to make dd well aware of the likelihood that it would be a bad idea for her but not all families discuss that sort of thing. Also my mother told me and I did not want to listen. At least when dd is still a minor I should be able to make the doctor aware of family history.

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This is completely crazy to me. I experienced the same thing. My highschool was FULL of pregnant teen girls that were thrilled. I am all for educating safe practices, because thinking all people believe in abstinence before marriage is just delusional. HOwever having an rx just incase, well to me it would make logical sense that STDs are going to be on the rise. I mean oops, I have a pill just incase, so we don't have a cond*m, ok no problem. Teens can be totally stupid and in the moment. If there is something that solves the pregnancy issue AFTER, I can imagine this creating more health problems.

 

This was my experience. There were LOTS of pregnant girls in my high school and very few of them were unhappy about it. What a great way to hang on to that "awesome" guy--have his baby and he can never leave you!

 

IMO, this is dangerous from a medical point of view and most likely ineffective in reality.

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I just see the potential for huge abuse, for inadequate patient care, loads of issues.

 

I think this might be the different pov of a Canadian. Our health care (even with insurance) is so spotty that having an rx in advance doesn't bother me at all. It can be very difficult to get an appointment within the window that Plan B works, then you have the "Will insurance cover it?" or "How do I come up with the cash for an office visit?" issues. Most of the potential problems could be handled by good patient attention at the time of the rx and follow up when the pharmacist fills the prescription. Even Walmart's pharmacy flags new prescriptions so that the pharmacist on duty checks in with the customer to make sure they know the major side effects.

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A quick google of "plan b teens" yields:

 

Pharmacies deter teens from Plan B, study shows - Vitals

Study: Teen access to Plan B uneven - CNN.com

Plan B: 1 in 5 Pharmacists May Deny Eligible Teens Access to ...

Plan B Often Denied To Girls In Low-Income Areas, New Study ...

 

It goes on.

 

That some teens might welcome pregnancy or intentionally become pregnant is completely irrelevant to those who don't. That Plan B doesn't protect against STDs is irrelevant to someone who has been raped (IIRC, over 40% of rape victims are teens), and of little consequence to someone taking it to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or after a condom breaks. And whatever the side effects for Plan B they're fewer than those of pregnancy.

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Isn't this something you take before you know that you're pregnant, just in case? I assume it isn't safer than NOT taking it, but couldn't there be teens out there taking it on a more or less regular basis? Esepcially if they're paranoid about pregnancy? I don't know how safe that would be.

I don't think you can get an Rx for Plan B more than twice in a six month window; even over the counter, the pharmacist will ask if you've taken it before and when. This isn't a proposal to make Plan B available over the counter for young girls; the teen would still need to have a frank talk with her doctor.

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:iagree: The pill has caused problems in both me and my mother. With that sort of family history I plan to make dd well aware of the likelihood that it would be a bad idea for her but not all families discuss that sort of thing. Also my mother told me and I did not want to listen. At least when dd is still a minor I should be able to make the doctor aware of family history.

 

I think that the important thing here is to make dd aware of family history.

 

And whatever the side effects for Plan B they're fewer than those of pregnancy.

 

Seriously. Cause the side effects of pregnancy can include nausea, vomiting, heartburn, constipation, fatigue, high blood pressure, childbirth...

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