Category: News and Views
Plan B pill sells in New York
Consumers in New York have been stocking up on the Plan B
contraceptive pill since it became available in August.
Ever since the tablets were approved for over-the-counter
sale by the Food and Drug Administration to those over
18 years of age, drugstores have seen many purchase the
$50 pack of pills, the New York Post reported. Plan B,
or the morning after pill, reportedly consists of a dose
of two pills that stops ovulation and the egg's
fertilization if taken within 72 hours of intercourse.
"I'm single, and forgetting to use a condom or not having
one around, it's par for the course," said Michael, a
25-year old who works in an advertising agency. "Now
there's this pill. A girl can take it, no worries. It's
birth control after the fact but before the situation
gets messy." Some experts fear, however, that people
who have emergency contraception will be more likely to
forgo traditional methods.
Do you think this is a good idea? Is it just an easy way out, or is the American government being responsible?
It's better than using abortion as a form of contraception, which a lot of women do. It's disgusting, but it does happen more than is comfortable to think about. However, the bad thing about this or any other pill is that it will not prevent STD's or AIDS.
Ok Nem, I have an article here for you to give yu an idea of how such a thing has affected us in the UK.
Morning after pill access widens
Emergency contraception
One in 20 women used the morning after pill last year
The number of women obtaining the morning after pill from chemists, walk-in centres
and minor injury units has almost doubled in the last two years.
The Office for National Statistics found 38% of women in the UK got the pill from
these sources last year compared to 21% in 2001-2.
One in 20 women used the emergency contraception at least once last year.
The report also showed the number of women experiencing problems obtaining the pill
had fallen from 13% to 4%.
Despite the trend towards using chemists, walk-in centres and injury units, the most
popular source for obtaining the pill remained a GP or practice nurse at 41%.
Under 30s
Chemists were the second most popular outlets at 27%.
Women under 30 were five times more likely as those aged 30 and over to get the emergency
contraception from a walk-in centre or minor injuries unit.
John Smeaton, national director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children,
which is against the use of the pill, said the trend was worrying.
"Using the pill at all cheapens human life.
"But the problem with easy access is that it is undermining women's safety.
"If a women goes to a GP for the pill her medical history can be taken into account
for the dangers of using the pill but this can't always be done elsewhere.
'Successful'
There is a small risk of ectopic pregnancy - where the embryo grows outside of the
womb - when pregnancy happens despite the use of the pill.
A spokeswoman for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service said: "The decision to allow
women to buy emergency contraception from chemists was a tremendous step forward
and has evidently been successful.
"The next logical step would be to allow women to buy emergency contraception in
advance of need from their local pharmacy.
"The usual loud minority can be expected to make their moral objections, but it is
puzzling how anyone could, in good conscience, seek to thwart a woman who has had
unprotected sex and wants to lessen her chance of an unwanted pregnancy."
Chemists have been allowed to sell the morning after pill over the counter without
a GP prescription since 2001.
And a spokeswoman for the Family Planning Association added: "The FPA has long been
campaigning for better access to emergency contraception so we are pleased that more
women are finding it easier to get hold of through a variety of different outlets.
"No method of contraception is 100% effective, so it's essential that women can quickly
obtain emergency contraception to avoid an unplanned pregnancy."
That all sounds good, the one thing we just need to make sure people are still aware of, is that they are more likely to contract STD's and so should still use some form of barrier contraceptive.
Kev that's a great article thanks for posting it. Becky you talk about abortion. Isn't taking the pill after one could be pregnant just another form of abortion? If you ask me it can be prettied up with words like in Keven's article but at the end of the day, you are aborting what could be a child. I am not saying that its not a good idea, but see it for what it could be.
To those who believe that life begins at the moment of conception, then yes, it could be abortion if the woman did indeed become pregnant. But still, it's preferable to waiting three or four months into it and then aborting the baby.
true enough but I wonder why it is only available to those 18 and older?
Because people under 18 are all virgins, right?
It will encourage unprotected sex, in turn, doubling the number of people with HIV/AIDS.
I would have to agree with Goblin. I think it will just perpetuate unprotected sex.
And over 100 people in britain have AIDS/HIV and don't know it.
I think having quick access to the morning after pill is a good idea. but in no means does that mean it's perfectly fine to have unprotected sex. I'm all for using condoms and if need be I'd take the morning after pill if the condom broke. I've heard of the sponge, spermicide and the female condom, but I'm not up to using those because I don't know how effective they'd be. I've heard numbers of how efective those methods are, but I'm still not sure. I still prefer a condom over anything else, because that's what I've been brought up to go by. I've been taught the safest way to protect yourself from STD's is a condom. I'd like to see about other methods, but I'm still kind of scared.
Abortion is used now asa form of birth control. It's disgusting and far far too easily available.