http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.ad...121212609990005

This is a news story I just read. I think that Plan B SHOULD be given OTC for women over 16. I think that this would save a lot of girls from running to the abortion clinic. Also in the circumstance that a girl goes to a party or something on a Friday night and gets raped, she can go to her local CVS and get Plan B and not have to wait to get a perscription on Monday which would have very little chance of working by that time anyways. The article mentions that this might increase teens engaging in risky sexual behavior. I agree that this might be true and that some girls would just run to the store and take the pill the next day, but I think the benefits outweigh the possibility of more girls having unprotected sex. What do you guys think?

I agree it's a good idea, but I don't think it will increase the amount of unprotected sex. It's almost the same as schools giving students acess to condoms in schools- people know their having sex, but this way there'll be more ways available for it to be "safe."

I also think it would be good from a standpoint that there are some girls who don't tell their parents that there's a possibility of pregnancy and who end up carrying babies to term with no intention of actually raising them. This way, instead of being dumped somewhere and left to die, the baby's mother might be able to take a more responsible step.

I'd have to disagree based on my own experiences with this very drug, but not on the basis that it'd promote sexual activity. I had to take Plan B in January of '03. It completely screwed up my body. My iron levels were depleted, I had my period for literally weeks at a time, and at one point the doctor suggested having an emergency hysterectomy because I had been on massive amounts of birth control to try to regulate my hormones and nothing was working - all this, and I hadn't even turned 21 yet. It took up until this year to finally get it all sorted out.

Obviously my situation was a worst-case scenario, but it happens. It's a hormone just like regular birth control pills, and it can be dangerous if your body reacts in a weird manner. I'm all for having contraceptive devices available, but I think there still needs to be some sort of regulation for some of them.

It seems that you had a really bad experience oxym0ronical, and I don't know the whole thing, but is it possible that maybe something else is wrong too and it wasn't just the pill? The most common form of pill is progestin and estrogen. The estrogen causes the ovary to not develop and release an egg and the progestin causes the lining of the uterus not to form as thickly as it would in a normal cycle. The pill also thickens the mucus of the cervix preventing sperm from getting past that point. Pretty much, it makes a woman's body think that it's pregnant. These are the same drugs in Plan B, but they are given in higher doses because it is only one dose not a pill taken everyday throughout a cycle. The hope with Plan B is that the ovary won't release the egg that could cause pregnancy. That is why Plan B is only 89% effective when taken in the first 24 hours, because if the body has already released an egg, it can't send it back or kill it or anything like that. If you became anemic and had your period for weeks, I would assume you were on another drug and not the progestin and estrogen pill. The pill is even prescribed for those that do have severe menstral bleeding and/or cramps because it lessens the amount of lining made each month. Plan B and birth control can cause side effects though, that is true, such as nausea and vomiting, mood swings/depression, weight gain or loss, and other similar problems. I don't like taking the pill myself because I get very depressed from all the extra hormones and sometimes it makes me nauseated. Any female that goes to her doctor and asks for birth control pills can get them unless they have some underlying medical problem like high blood pressure which can cause blood clots when the pill is taken. The risks with the regular pill and Plan B is the same, making Plan B available to girls without a perscription would only allow girls to have easier access to Plan B at a lower cost and without her having to tell her parents. Having a reaction to hormones that are in the body and created by the body is quite possibly a one in a million chance if that. Please don't scare the other forumites without due cause, I think that you should FULLY explain what happened in your situation before telling people that they might need an emergency hysterectomy from taking birth contol pills or emergency contraception. You've said before in other topics that you have worked in this profession. If that's true, you obviously know how rare something like that happening is. You've also mentioned how you think that abortions are over-used. Perhaps if Plan B was made more available then that wouldn't be an issue.

Rare doesn't mean it shouldn't be mentioned. Though I agree people need to keep the statistic's in mind before they panic. My sister was one of those that had a stroke from being on ordinary birthcontrol and the increased risk bit. Rare? Of course. But there's a reason the ad's (in America) have a warning about the possible extreme side effects. It also sounds like a very traumatic experience, which would be the first thing I thought of, if it happened to me. Glad you're better, oxym0ronical.

I kinda of disagree about the Morning After Pill being so freely available.

While I understand the benefits, I think some people would just use it as another form of contraception. Rather than use a condom, they'd just say 'Oh, don't worry - you can just visit the pharmacy and get the pill'. While that's good for convenience, that's not good for stopping the spread of STD's.

Additionally, you can only use the Morning After Pill, I believe, three times or so in your life before it starts messing up your body. Basically, it forces a period (practically a miscarriage if you are pregnant). There would be too many people completely taking advantage of that, taking it repeatedly, and possibly doing themselves some serious damage.

In the UK after the morning after pill got made available over the counter.. STD rates rose. Whether that was just a natural rise, or caused by the morning after pill being readily available is a bit hard to say.

I do know some teens see it as "just another contraception", which it most certainly is not, it does screw up the body a lot. It's a last resort.. not some handy little thing you can take instead of using real contraception. But.. well if people are mature enough to see that, then being able to get it more easily is alright.
If too many people start using it to replace real contraception like some people believe is happening in the UK.. then.. hmm.. maybe needing to see the doctor and be talked to properly about the pill would be needed to convince people to stick to safer forms of contraception.

Haven't STD infection rates been rising steadily for the last twenty or thirty years?

Well the way I understand it, for a while the std rate in the UK anyways leveled off in the 90s, although the teen pregnancy rate was on the rise, now the teen pregnancy rate has falled by a tiny tiny tiny amount, but STD rates are back on the up again.

But yeah your right, if talking about the whole world, the std rates been rising a whole lot.

I don't think we, as a society, are mature enough to use it in that sense - therein the problem lays. If someone's not mature enough to use protection responsibly at the time, I can't imagine that they'd be mature enough to use the Morning After Pill responsibly either. Therefore it needs to be properly regulated so that people don't take advantage of that.

I wasn't currently on any other medication at the time, and yes, I'm sure it was Plan B. I'd had absolutely no problems before. Like I said, worst case scenario, but it happens sometimes. And I'm well aware of what birth control, and especially emergency contraceptives contain and what they are capable of doing. My body wasn't able to handle the added hormones from Plan B and it started a vicious cycle that took a long time to correct itself.

The question was asked and I responded and said WHY I don't believe it should be available without a prescription. My intention wasn't to scare anyone. If you ask a question and expect a full answer, then you can expect people to relate personal experiences to somewhat give an idea of why they believe the way they do. *shrugs*

My entire point is that there should be some sort of regulation, because you just never know. The statistics are extremely low, yes, but.. if a bunch of people starting using Plan B rather than prescribed birth control and/or condoms, you'll see a rise in the worst case scenarios too. STDs have already been mentioned, and yes, I agree that as a society, we're not responsible enough to use it purely for emergencies.

Edited to say thanks, believe =)

I agree with everything that Oxym0ronical and FU have said.

Also, you're going to have a huge response from Pro - Lifers as *technically* it's an abortion and I don't think that young girls will really comprehend the mechanics of something like that.

I would have to say that I agree with the morning after pill ebing made available over the counter purely because I have been in a situation where I needed to use it and really had no choice other than my local boots.

I don't know about you but after an "accident" I was thinking the quicker I can get the MA pill the better. If I could have got to a 24 hour pharmacy at that point I would have run bare foot! Going to the doctors takes time and an appointment. On a sunday this takes even more time. I know there are other ways I could have got a dose but being able to get it over the counter made it that much easier and less time spent panicking like a loony.

I don't know why some of you think that Plan B is the same as an abortion. There is an abortion pill and that is called RU-486, Plan B does not induce an abortion, it does the same thing that regular birth control pills do because it is the same drug. Don't let all those pro-lifers scare you with lies. The pill isn't an abortion and neither is Plan B. Plan B would not be available to young girls without a prescription, it would be OTC for ONLY girls over the age of 16 which I think is a very reasonable age to make that decision.

I raise another question, after all these many hundreds of years that women have fought for the right to choose to be pregnant or not, do you think that some of these or all of these rights should be repealed?

Personally I'm for the ready availability of the morning after pill. Condoms do break (more often than one might initially expect) and a rapid appointment with a doctor cannot always be easily arranged. In such situations time is a factor...

I don't know about the states but a £40 a pop (sorry!!!) I don't think many people would be ABLE to use it as regular contraception. I had to use it twice in a month (dogdy box of condoms-Don't ask!) and was left nearly bankrupted!!

Hmm, a good question to ask I think is, what exactly happens when a woman goes to a chemist to purchase a morning after pill (MAP)? Does the pharmacist take her aside and go through ger medical history? Check that she isn't taking any other drugs that would prevent the pill from having it's desired effect? Does the woman simply hand over the money, and walk off with the MAP?

Ryn, I was aware that the MAP wasn't cheap, butI had no idea it was as high as £40.

Mr Fuzzy sure is right, condoms do break.

Living in London, I'm probably quite fortunate to have relatively easy and quick to travel to Accident & Emergency (AE), where I can go, should I need to, and be given a MAP for free. I could also go to my nearest Family Planning clinic and reqest the pill for free. Again living in a big city means that Family Plannig clinics are open for longer hours on more days per week.

I think alot of it has to do with knowledge. If a woman knows that she can go to a pharmacy, hand over ~£40 and take a pill that will (more likely than not) prevent a pregnancy, but she does not know about going to A&E, then the avaliability of the moning after pill over the counter, what will all the media attention it will get, is a way of letting a woman be aware of her options. ButI'm sure it's differant outside of the UK.

Ryn, would you mind telling us what happend when you went to the pharmacy to get the morning after pill? I guess what I'm getting at, is did the pharmacist ask anyting about any other medication you may have been on? Out of curiosity.

When you go to the pharmacy they give you a brief chat about the possible side effects of the pill, not as in depth as the doctor might give you.

I am going to sit on the fence with this topic. My friends that have taken the morning after pill from the chemist have been responsible with it. They did take it as an emergency method, and were responsible etc etc..

However I do hear so much about people not being as responsible as my friends are. The doctors are leading us in the UK to believe that it's due to the pill being so easily obtainable that recent upsurge in STDs is related to people who would normally say "no" in the heat of the moment, saying "ah well.. I can always take the morning after pill without having to worry about doctors and stuff"

If my friends are anything to go by.. then getting it over the counter is fine and dandy, if what the doctors say is true.. then meh.. it's a bit of a bad solution to the issue of unwanted pregnancy.

I myself am pretty swayed by both arguements on this camp, so will sit in the safe neutral zone.

I am pro-life, but I'm not sure thats either here nor there for this discussion.

hm. I'm glad to hear its expensive enough to hopefully prevent people using it as birth control and the side affects are being gone over. I'm more in the undecided category as well. I'd love to see more info about how people use it, exactly what age limits/restrictions they'd be applying, before I came to a decision. I'd definitely rather people use it before an abortion, though.

One last point, well probably not, but I hope it is. Other over-the-counter medicine can also be very dangerous, but the people at CVS don't give you a chat about how the asprin you're buying can kill you if you have a fever or type of flu. Tampons can cause TSS. Lots of people are allergic to stuff in IB profen, Aleve, and Tylenol, but they are still available. How can it be said that because some people might have a bad reaction to a drug, it shouldn't be readily available. From a feminist/conspiracy theorist point of view, maybe the reason that the Pill isn't already available OTC is because the male dominance in the society and they want more control over women being pregnant. I mean, if you think about some of the stuff that's written in the bible that isn't so farfetched.

I don't really remember any Biblical passages controlling when and how a women could be pregnant, beyond the ones that seem pro-life.

That said, I'm sure there's a bias in some cases, whether its from sexism or a pro-life leaning.

You don't remember that women are all sinners just because they are women and should remain a virgin until they are married and when they are married they should always obey their husband's every request? I think they might have left that out in bible study, but if you look, it's there. All of that is about controlling women, it isn't for anyone's health and well being, it's so that a man will have his babies by a woman that has no babies from anyone else. Have you ever heard the phrase "barefoot and pregnant"? It is about men getting women pregnant to keep them from doing anything for themselves. Rendering them helpless in a sense. It all makes me sick quite frankly.

*trys to steer it back on topic*

I dunno how you can compare the morning after pill to tynenol.
Morning after pill is a last resort after unprotected sex..
Tylenol helps with aches and pains. As for it only affecting you badly if you're allergic, it's a little more complicated than that. No one I've ever watched take the morning after pill has ever come through that experience feeling "fine". Maybe some lucky girls to. But from what I've seen it messed them up a whole lot.

There's a reason they recommend never taking it more than three times in your life, since it can leave you sterile. The thing is that under the over the counter scheme people can get it as many times as they like with a lot more ease. That's why it requires that a level of maturity in the people getting it not to just treat it like "any other pill". Since it's not, it does, on a regular basis, not just if you have a weird allergy, mess people up a lot. Just because some people seem to be able to take it and get away with fairly mild side effects. I still believe it's a very very bad thing for the body.

Witless, I could go into a differant A&E and or Family Planning clinic each time I took the pill, I could even visit my doctor. Which could be more than three times. Each time, no doubt, I will tolds of the possible side affects, be warned that taking the pill more than three times _ever_ could lead to me not being able to conceive.

Women do this already. I don't honestly see how how much of a differance there will from women and girls who take more than 3 morning after pills in their life time by paying ~£40 a time over the counter, to women and girls who visit differant A&E's and or family Planning clinics.

Also, if a person does not want to take in the warnings thay have been told, either from a nurse, doctor or pharmacist, they won't. It's harsh but it's true.


Hmm, I am now curious as to the differance in information given when purchasing a morning after pill over the counter, versus from A&E, GP.

Asenyth: All women and all men are considered sinners, according to the Bible. I promise many, many men are mentioned as such and as much, if not more as women. Women weren't singled out alone as such, though some medieval church people 'forgot' that, conviently. Men were always suppose to remain virgins and have no sex except with their wives, though I don't hear you saying that we were controlling their manhood. Men didn't always follow it, but its very clearly in the Bible. Men were assumed to be culturally in charge, but you will find that in any ancient culture. Ancient Greece for example, was horrible about it. There's no law in the Bible that says be a slave to your man's every whim and like it, baby. The one about head o' the home is followed by paragraphs how loving the guy's supposed to be and was startingly feminist for its time. For most times, til late this century, actually. And thats just for some of the modern countries.



I'd politely disagree with that. I consider not getting sexually transmitted diseases as spiffy for my health. And considering the fate children outside of marriage faced in ancient cultures, I'd say it went a ways to protecting the children as well. I'm not sure why having sex with just your husband would keep you pregnant or helpless. As for being helpless in general, again that stretched across ancient cultures and much of the world today. Israel was definitely no worse and in some cases better, when the laws of caring for the poor, widows, ect were followed. Though maybe there was a egaltarian asian culture I'm forgetting.


And back on to topic.. wow. Being potentially infertile after three times and having it unregulated seems.. harsh. Drugs that damage your body that much are usually highly restrained by a doctor for obvious reasons. Wouldn't lawsuits from people's own stupidity be a large risk? Not to mention less than bright teenagers or people using it three times, then regretting it as they grew. Ouch.

Agree with Fuzzy on that point, and to the rest of you, it's a bloody expensive alternative! It was £25 at last uhhh.....check >_>

Question for the UK/other peoples. Are people allowed to sue over stupid things that are their own fault over there? How bad is it with things like the day after pill/others?

I was taken to one side of the pharmacy and asked some simple questions.
Was I taking any medication at the minute?
What was my regular contraception?
Did I have a medical history of certain things?
Was I aware of the fact that like most contraceptive pills it is not 100% affective?
And so on.

I was then talked through how to use it and given a list of advice helplines one of which included a rape victims line, just in case.

All in all I was very impressed with how well it was all handled. I didn't feel as if I was being patronised by the pharmacist (who was a man by the way!) I didn't feel as if they were making any sort of judgement about me. I'm usually quite closed mouthed about these things (I know!! You can all laugh!! Me! Shut up! Never!) but I felt quite comfortable talkng to the pharmacist about it all and the whole thing was completely confidential.

I don't know whether a 16 year old would have got the same treatment (I was 21 at the time) but I do know that I was advised to see my GP/ family planning clinic within a week to get everything checked out.

It was quite a stomach churning weekend but the pharmacist really helped me to calm down