Woman-Based Emergency Contraception Controversy Threatens the Female Voice
The morning after pill is a resource with which most women are familiar. It’s purpose is to decrease the chance of pregnancy. There is a restriction on obtaining this pill for teenage girls because it is considered a prescription drug, so the underage female cannot get it unless she tells her parents to tell her doctor to order it into their pharmacy. But, nowadays, teen pregnancy has become normalized. Teen moms are on YouTube, Tik Tok and other trending social media’s gaining more followers and attention (positive and negative) by the minute. The choice to have a child is sometimes not an option for teen girls based on various social situations, age, and resources. Sometimes a teenage girl will decide to have the baby, but what if she didn’t have that option? There are a lot of “what-ifs” for this issue, however these what-ifs are the real life stories for many teenage girls in the United States. The reason why women under 18 aren’t permitted to take an emergency contraception is because of the undergoing controversy of whether it is a minor considering a “medical abortion”, and the “health” of the women. (VeryWellHealth)
Planned parenthood is an unobtainable resource for some females that are “underage”. On the Planned Parenthood website it says that as of this year they treat 1.5 million teenagers a year. There are many more teens who live in the United States, so 1.5 million is not that many in the grand scheme of things. I am one of 6 girls so I have four older siblings to ask to get me the pill if I needed it, but how does she navigate such a situation without this support system? What happens if she’s an only child? What happens if she isn’t close to her siblings? These are all things that the girl must consider. How is it that a teenage girl under 18 is able to purchase a pregnancy test, but she cannot buy a pill to reduce the chance of getting pregnant after a mishap? Planned Parenthood is always there to help but sometimes getting there is a very big obstacle. This organization has a confidentiality policy, however, if the teenager cannot drive, or doesn’t have a car, they’re going to have to tell somebody to bring them to planned parenthood. Are there ways around that? Absolutely, however, it is unlikely that there will be perfect execution to keeping a secret like that. It could be possible that families are not okay with teen pregnancy or are not approachable about teen pregnancy.
The idea of contraception is something that is very familiar to teenagers in the US. Teenagers can still be responsible while making intimate decisions, but they’re not 100% protective. Condoms can break, and birth control doesn’t give any teen that guarantee, it is a matter of luck. Plan B is considered “emergency contraception” according to Princeton Medical program. If this is the case, then why would there be a need to put a restriction on it. Plan B’s job is to delay ovulation (Huffington Post), which can be handled by birth control as well. Approximately 22% of older youth teenage girls (12th grade-females) use birth control and are sexually active, and 9% of younger youth (9th Grade-females) use birth control and are also sexually active. From 2001–2017 there was a rise in contraception in female teenagers who are sexually active.
People aren’t permitted to purchase Aderol over the counter because it isn’t designed for everyone and anyone to have. Aderol is meant for people who have attention disorders, not for anyone to just “be” focused. Plan B and other morning after pills are not designed for disorders. It is a form of protection for females who are concerned for the well being of their bodies. People may think that Plan B is considered abortion, and abortion is also murder, but if all it is is a clump of cells stored in the uterus, there is nothing to kill, there is no life inside the women at the time and place of a potential baby if the issue is getting plan B. Connecticut’s Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) states, “The decision to terminate a pregnancy prior to the viability of the fetus shall be solely that of the pregnant woman in consultation with her physician.” At the end of the day it should be up to the woman.
Plan B and other morning after pills are designed to create relief and comfort to women who do not want babies, but are also at risk of getting pregnant. The issue is not why do teenagers need plan B, rather why aren’t they able to obtain it. It is very frustrating that all other resources can shift to become available, but there is an implemented age restriction on a benefit, as if it was a drug, or alcohol that can genuinely kill people. I think that women deserve the liberty to choose to take the pill if they see fit, and not need to worry about scheming to get a hold of it.
https://www.prochoicect.org/laws-policy/connecticutabortionlaw/
https://www.verywellhealth.com/who-can-buy-plan-b-one-step-or-generic-906844
