Excerpt
JEFFREY BROWN (Newshour): The secretary of health and human services has waded into the politically charged issue of birth control for younger girls.
In a very public and high-level disagreement, Kathleen Sebelius today blocked the Food and Drug Administration from allowing girls under 17 to buy the Plan B morning-after pill without a prescription.
For the details, we're joined by Rob Stein, covering the issue for The Washington Post.
Another excerpt
JEFFREY BROWN: Now, just remind us the state of play here. Plan B has already been approved for use without prescription by women over 17, right? So what was this about?
ROB STEIN, The Washington Post: Right.
Right now, the way it works is that if any women -- any woman who's 17 years old or older can walk into a pharmacy and buy Plan B without a prescription, but they have to prove that -- their age to the pharmacist. But anybody younger than that still has to get a prescription.
And women's health advocates, family planning advocates had hoped to make it easer get, so that any women of any age could go in and get it without a prescription. It would make it a lot easier to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
JEFFREY BROWN: And, as a practical matter, that means it's not sold just out there on the shelves. It's behind the counter.
ROB STEIN: Right.
And what often happens is, you will have a situation where, you know, a woman has unprotected sex or has a problem with a condom, or maybe is even a rape victim in the middle of the night or on the weekend, and there's sort of a panic about what to do about it. And with this drug, it's very important that you take it within the first 72 hours. That's the period of time in which it's most effective.
JEFFREY BROWN: So, what was the reasoning by Secretary Sebelius in blocking the change?
ROB STEIN: You know, she basically said that she just didn't feel that there was enough conclusive evidence to show that it could be used safely by girls of any age.
And she specifically cited that girls as young as 11 years old can get pregnant, and she just didn't feel comfortable that there was enough evidence that young girls, girls 11, 12 years old, really could handle this on their own.
COMMENT: I have no problem with the "morning after pill" in general, BUT "without a prescription" for girls under 17? Not so sure about that.
The non-political (technical) issue revolves around is the "morning after pill" a contraceptive (prevention of the fusion of gametes during or after sexual activity) or a contragestive (a drug that prevents implantation of a human embryo)?
Contraceptives are OTC (over the counter) items = on store shelves. Contragestive would generally be a prescription drug.
On the political side, the issue is the myth that ANYTHING that any governmental action having to do with sex in the context of "under age" children PROMOTES sexual activity.
The truth is Mother Nature has her own schedule. Our children will become interested "that way" whenever it happens. It is up to parents to deal with that whenever. The problem, especially with my generation, is NOT dealing with it at all, or relying on a just-say-no approach.
On the practical side, when Mother Nature "flips the switch" for girls, they CAN get pregnant. So the bottom-line becomes IF your "little girl" is sexually active she can become pregnant, then what?
Parents hope their children do NOT become sexually active before they are mature enough to be responsible AND act responsibly. But the reality is, that does not always happen.
So, the "morning after" pill?.......
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