Lovelyish

Ideally, all teenagers would use contraception and it would work, and teenagers would have open relationships with their parents so they could discuss sex and contraception openly and honestly. However, this is not a perfect world. Teenagers are going to have sex regardless of whether their parents are okay with it. They won’t always use contraception and I’d rather they had free, private access to this stuff than for them to have nowhere to go for help and advice.

I’m totally okay with this and think it’s for the best, actually. Of course, the root of our nation’s teen birth rate is a lot of inadequate sex education (seriously, abstinence-only supporters are being naive and ignorantly stubborn) but even when a person IS being responsible by using a condom, there’s always the chance of a condom breaking or slipping off and that’s where Plan B comes in. Plenty of teens can’t get birth control without parental consent (again, thank you naive people with naive laws, as though not having birth control has

really

 stopped people from having sex) so their only form of protection is a condom.

That said, I think it’s important to also offer a counselor to discreetly discuss sexual issues with without fear of repercussions; I think that might actually lower the amount of Plan B usage because then teens would have better answers to their questions about birth control rather than simply using Plan B as their primary form.

Great idea. Plan B here costs ~$40-50 bucks. Which is a lot, so I’m sure that they’d get it free or cheap. AND it’s embarrassing to go and get it at a pharmacy, especially with all the forms you need to fill out. At least in a nurse’s office it’s just you and the nurse. 

And I mean, adults have unprotected sex as well, clearly they know it’s better to use a condom but you aren’t always prepared or sometimes you aren’t always in the right frame of mind. Ideally having access to BCP would help with that. Maybe the schools could also provide free condoms though as I’m sure that’s also a factor in teens not using protection: cost. 

You can get “emergency contraceptif” for free in France if you are under 18 years old, the french majority (you can go in dispensaries, school nurse, “familial planning” in cities, and also hospitals and doctors ).

A few friends of mine did it, and get this contraception… and the MOST important thing is, that they also get help and advices from adults, without their parents intervention (sometimes, speaking about it is too hard and parents not aware). And a test for VIH for free. That is SO important too.

It can be a problem for people against contraception (for religious purpose, I know it’s a big deal in US for example), and parents who refuse that their daughter have entercourse with boys… but it can help to low the number of abortion or young mothers. So for me, it is a good thing.

BUT prevention and information classes must be MORE done, to prevent the use of this… condom are the only way to avoid pregnancy and illness while having sex. (since abstinence is “not having sex” it is not a contraceptive tool.).

Education is the key.  I think it would be great if there is a safe place for teens to receive unbiased advice and facts about sexual intercourse and contraceptives, it could prevent unwanted pregnancies and help teens make better choices.  Ideally, teens should wait until they’re a little older, but whenever an authority figure tries to forbid something, the more a teen wants to try something.  So, if teens know the risks of getting intimate, they may consider waiting, or at least be better prepared to participate in it safely.

And to think everyone got on my college’s case earlier this year when it came out that we had a vending machine in our health center that sold Plan B. But at the high school level I feel like there should be more education about it. The birth control I understand but Plan B makes it seem like having unprotected sex is ok to these young girls.  And are they making the girls pay for it, or are they using taxpayer money to pay for it? That could make some people angry if their taxes pay for that.

I can see both sides, but I think it is a start.  I reiterate that education is most important and that seems sadly lacking. 

If the ultimate goal is reducing teen pregnancies then information & advice will be the best course of action.  And the idea of giving testing for STDs at the same time is a great one – ‘hey kiddo’s not only are you at risk for getting pregnant, but you are putting yourself into the pool for a life altering disease as well!’ 

Anytime plan B costs 50$ a pop, like most of our medications at the pharmacy, the costs are controlled by the billion dollar pharmaceutical companies that don’t need that much money to make the pills.  Europe makes the same stuff we do, and yet, I’m so surprised by people who actually don’t want healthcare reform, want to continue paying those costs, want to pretend they may never have a tragedy and wind up in the Intensive Care Unit and wrack up millions of dollars for the taxpayers to pay for anyway.  Who do they think pays for all the E.R. visits people can’t afford already?  And no mention was made about how the plan B pill works.  There are different kind of post coital pills, and this one produces added estrogen, hence, keeping the body from producing eggs, so it’s a no brainer to me.  If parents were on the ball, they’d take their teen girls to the doc, or government agency, and get them shots every three months.  Or, stick a pill in the kid’s mouth every day.  Or, get an IUD.  You aren’t saying go out and be a prostitute.  You can have long conversations about the girl saving herself for the right man, for marriage, etc., but just cover your butt in case she happens to “think” she meets Mr. right and performs the act.  I should have done that prior to my 17 year old telling me she was pregnant.  I was a nurse, kept condoms in the house, and thought I’d done my job.  And, I was very religious as well.  Can’t turn back the clock, but since then we learned she’s severely bipolar, ( I thought it was depression) and at 36, I pay for her birth control, even though she’s not married, and has gone one to become very well educated.  Take care of your kids!!

this brings up so many flags in my book. but i remember being a teenager and not having many outlets or people to talk to. Having to go to a clinic isn’t easy either, so providing this pill in school is so much easier and theres going to be people who actually care to speak to you on the choices your going to make. maybe this will lower the rates of teen pregnancy.

My school offered birth control.. Then I came to America and they acted like I was crazy to think I could buy the pill at school….

I don’t want my tax dollars going to contraceptives… I’d rather donate money elsewhere. I’m big on donating to charity, and this is not what I want to spend my money on.

No wonder our schools are failing. I thought a school’s job was to provide an education, not healthcare. Seems like schools worry about everything now except for the actual education part. Poor teachers, no wonder the burn out rate is so high. 

I think it’s a good idea. Unprotected sex is dangerous for other reasons than pregnancy, that’s what they should be taught.  How much sex education is done in schools anyway?

Blending that out, it would still be better if more teens had unprotected sex but no children than the other way around.

@LeviStyles@xanga - well, would you rather see them go to young families that fall into poverty and out of the educational system because they have an unwanted child? Or more kids in foster homes?
 I think it’s in fact the cheapest way for the tax payer, wether it’s funded by taxes or privately, that’s one of the reasons I’d support it. 

I’m agreeing with the comments that more effort needs to be put into teaching children unbiased, truthful information about sex and ways to protect yourself.
The thing that bugs me most about giving medication out to our children without parent consent is what happens when that child has a reaction? I knew a girl when I was in high school who was allergic to most birth control (pills, injection, etc). What if someone had a severe reaction and wasn’t able to breathe or something? The parents can’t tell the doctor what happened. Of course, they have no way of preventing it from happening again since they don’t know.
If they can give out birth control without parent consent, then why not give out other medications without their consent? I know when I was in high school I couldn’t even get one pill of tylenol or advil for period cramps or a headache without going through the process of attempting to reach my mother and then having her talk to the school nurse to tell her it’s cool if I have some over the counter pain killers that I could easily buy myself at any store.

One of the best decisions a public school system has ever made.