the morning after pill being sold over the counter?

Question

do you think its a good thing that it has been approved to be sold without a pescription? i think its a wonderful thing. condoms break things happen i dont understand why some people are so outraged. i mean wouldnt you rather prevent some one from getting pregnant then have them get pregnant and then have to get an abortion? what are your opinions about this?

Answer 1

As a nurse I agree with the concept of the morning after pill, as a pediatric nurse I have given it to children...13,14 years old. The problem that I have even though they have put an age limit on it (younger girls will get it) is that when I have had to give this medication I do a lot of teaching on safe sex, etc and it provides an oppurtunity for open discussions there are a lot of uneducated young girls out there that really need someone to talk to and I am afraid this oppurtunity will be lost. I am also concerned that it will decrease condom use and increase STD. But I guess time will tell and I would rather have it avaliable than to not.

Answer 2

I don't think it should be sold over the counter. There are to many things that could go wrong and need to be explained by a physician. You can go to any planned parenthood and get it. Accidents happen. I'm a single mother of 4. I've been dating this guy for about 2 years and we both have decided we do not need any children. (he has 4 as well. mine are between 7 and 15 and his are between 14 and 24 so "eight is enough" lol) Anyways we had an accident. The condom broke and even though I was on the pill we still went in to talk to the Dr. She gave me the pill and all is right with the world. As it so happened we were not even close to being pregnant. But it still gave us peace of mind. So no to over the counter. But yes it's a good thing to have around so long as it isn't abused and used as a form of birth control.

Answer 3

I agree. Plan B will be available "OTC" but only to those who can prove they are over 18yrs old and the pill will be held behind the pharmacy counter.

As a survivor of rape, but also a mother, I am happy this is available to women.

I understand some do believe the because the pill prevents a fertilized egg from implanting that it is the same as "abortion" but at the same time, I would much rather have this option available. Abortion is a very hard decision for any woman, and since there is no reason to believe that the legal availability of it is going to change any time soon, wouldn't it be a better alternative for women to have this pill instead of facing the reality of an unwanted pregnancy and possible decision for an abortion.

Having a child was wonderful for me, when it was the right time, but for those faced with life's curve balls - let's give them a helping hand and this better alternative - rather than judgment.

Again,

Answer 4

Emergency contraception (a.k.a. "the morning-after pill") is available at most women's health centers, or facilities that offer family planning services. Some facilities charge a small fee while others offer assistance to those with limited incomes (check with your local health department for more information). Depending on your age and the state you reside in, parental consent may be required before services can be rendered. You can't purchase emergency contraception over the counter because it involves taking a combination of hormones (birth control pills containing potent amounts of estrogen and progesterone), which can impose serious risks if not taken properly. Also, EC is not appropriate for all candidates. Certain health conditions, such as previous blood clotting, may affect a health care provider's decision to administer the drug. When considering the use of this medication, you have 72 hours from the time of unprotected intercourse to act. That means if you had sex on Friday around 8pm, your "cut-off" day would be around 8pm that following Monday. Sperm can live inside the woman's body for up to 72 hours, which further emphasizes the importance of taking action before the "window" closes. Good luck.

Answer 5

Yes it is being sold over the counter now.

People are just afraid that women will begin using it as normal birth control. And they probably will, which is very very bad. I believe that we are about to see the rate of STD's go way up, because many couples will have unprotected sex and just take the morning after pill now. It really worries me!

It is fine if women use it for the right reason, for example, condoms do break! And it could also be helpful if a woman was raped.

I am also worried about women's health in general if they take the pill on a regular basis. It has a very large dose of hormones, and has the potential to really screw your natural system up!

I just urge women to proceed with caution, and use common sense!! Most of us still have some!!

Answer 6

I dont think it is good...i have used it before...once...things happen i was young and i wanted to prevent the worst case scenario. But when they gave it to me it was confidential and they gave me a talk about it and info that i needed to kno that i would not have known if i got it over the counter. I think it is goin to cause a rise is STD's and will be used too often by one person which has negative effects and then decreases the effectiveness...i believe that it must still be regulated and disbursed by a DR. its not like u cant go to a clinic or Dr. and easily get it already...its not like they are allowed to tell your parents...so what is wrong with keeping it that way and causing less problems in the long run?!

Answer 7

People who believe that life begins when an egg is fertilized are upset by the morning after pill. High dose hormones keep a fertilized egg from being implanted. Some people treat the morning after pill very casually. Even while it has prescription status some doctors are are writing for it with refills instead of the more prudent approach of starting a woman on oral contraceptives.

Answer 8

I have no problem with it. It s better than getting an abortion. People have it confused that its like the abortion pill but its not. it prevents the egg from being fertilized in the first place! it doesn't work if u r pregnant already!

Answer 9

its not a bad thing to have because it just prevents pregnancy and your right condoms do break and sometimes condoms and birth control pills are not enough. but it is also telling younger teenagers that it is OK to go out and be and careless and have unprotected sex because there is pill that says they wont get pregnant. so it really depends on why someone would want to buy it if they was careful and it happened or if they are careless and it happens depends on the people buying it i would suppose.

Answer 10

Well, if it's sold OTC, that means minors can buy it. If our children grow up with the mindset "Oh I don't need to use any protection, I'll just go get the 'morning after' pill" then they are setting themselves up for other risks like STDs. Now you could argue that people won't think like this, but we all know that if there's an alternative to condoms, people will go for it. When we make it easier for people to enter into the act of sex with minimal thought, then we send the message that it's no big deal. It is a big deal. Lives are at stake. There are a lot of responsibilities that come with having sex, and if people are not emotionally, psychologically, and physically ready to deal with them, then they shouldn't be having sex. Maybe that extra step of having to go to the doctor will force people to re-assess if they are ready to procreate or not.