The United States has the highest rate of unplanned teen pregnancies amongst the most developed countries in the world. Approximately 750,000 teens will become pregnant this year and with the lack of resources to terminate those unwanted pregnancies more than ninety two percent of those teens will become parents before graduating high school. Plan B one step emergency contraception is now available over the counter as of August 2013 an although there has been a great debate on whether or not the open availability to teens as young as fifteen will do more harm than good it does seem that the positives have out weighted the negative since lowering the age restriction and making it available over the counter. Since talk about raising the age limit back to seventeen with a prescription and turning it back over to pharmacy counters the controversy has resurfaced. The subject of harm Plan b may or may not be contributing to women’s reproductive system as well as allowing minors to put themselves at risk without their parents knowledge have been main topics of decision. Plan B one step has been proven to be safe and effective and has minimized teen pregnancy since being approved in 2013.
Plan B emergency contraception is an oral pill used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. If used properly, which means as soon as possible up 72 hours of unprotected sex pregnancy is not to be expected. Starting in the early 1960s emergency contraception was only used in rape victims to
As of recently, the approval of the emergency contraceptive Plan B, for the use of girls as young as fifteen years old has stirred up quite some controversy (Belluck, 2013). Those who oppose it cite the diminishing moral values that this would impose on an already increasingly secular society. These individuals believe that having access to such a powerful substance would encourage young girls to engage in sexual promiscuity without any fear of repercussion (Belluck, 2013). However, proponents of this new law argue that giving full access to fifteen year old girls would discourage them from becoming pregnant at such an early age and gives them the opportunity to make wise decisions about their bodies. Aside from the two strongly opposing sides to this dilemma, the actual nature of the dilemma stems from the ease with which these young girls would be able to access the emergency contraceptive drug. Before the new law came into place, the emergency contraceptive was only available through the prescription of a doctor and could only be accessed through a pharmacist (Aleccia, 2013). With the new law, anyone fifteen or older would be able to access and purchase the drug over-the-counter. Granting such access to girls who may at times not be fully aware of the consequences of their actions is the nature of the dilemma.
If the government banned the Plan B pill what will teens do if they do not want the baby or if they are too young? Banning Plan B pills is a issue because it can cause the pregnancy rate to increase because teenagers will not have an emergency contraception close by. This is also an issue because most teens are not brave enough to confess to their parents that they are pregnant. Anti Abortion activist think this short-sighted decision can lead to more unprotected sex and lower the number of sexually active teens who actually discuss this with their parents or doctors. Recent statistics show that in 2015, teen pregnancy in the United States had a total of 229,715 babies born to women the age of 15-19. In order to prevent unwanted pregnancies
Plan B One-Step, also known as the morning-after pill, is currently available to all females of any age without a pharmacist’s approval. However, this has not always been the case. It used to be that females could not obtain the contraceptive if they were under the age of 17 and it was only available over-the-counter with valid identification. Many people still believe in those restriction, including the current president of the United States. On December 8, 2011 Barak Obama presented interesting points in an interview on Plan B about the safety for girls regarding the pill. Plan B stops the release of an egg from the ovary. It also may prevent a sperm from fertilizing the egg. If fertilization has already occurred, Plan B prevents the fertilized
Plan B One-Step is an emergency contraception pill that helps avoid pregnancy after unprotected sex or birth control failure. In better details, it’s a tablet that contains levonorgestrel, a hormone that has been used in many birth control. Plan B just contains a higher dose of levonorgestrel than birth control pills, but works in a similar way.
Plan B One-Step emergency contraceptive is a well-known form of last minute birth control among women. It is used as a back-up plan if birth control fails or unprotected sex is had without birth control. The product itself is controversial because it is considered a form of abortion by many people. This ad was found in People magazine, a gossip/tabloid magazine commonly found near the registers at grocery stores, supermarkets and other various convenience stores. Glancing over the page, it seems harmless enough and like a good thing for those who need it. Upon further analyzing, this advertisement shows the pressure put upon girls in America and the problem of lack of proper sexual education.
Many different problems can arise from the use of Plan “B” which will and have drastically affect the use of birth control in the long run. The use of the morning after pill will always be considered an abortion tool simply because it is used after the sexual act. The ability for a fifteen year old to have unevaded access to such a powerful tool will most likely have debaters for a long time. Most do not recognize a person this young as being capable of making such a major decision in regards to having or not having sex. They would rather for them to restrain until after marriage.
The final method of birth control to discuss is the morning after pill, also known as emergency contraception or Plan B. The pill is taken orally after unprotected sex has already occurred. The pill can be taken up to 5 days after unprotected sex. The pill is available both over the counter or with a prescription. The pill stops the ovary from releasing an egg and being fertilized by the sperm. However, this method has many disadvantages. The morning after pill is only 89 percent effective at preventing pregnancy and it becomes less effective over time. It can also be very expensive, and it does not work if ovulation has already begun. The pill can also cause nausea, cramping, and vomiting due to its high concentration of estrogen and progesterone.
"Teen pregnancy in the United States: In 2015, a total of 229,715 babies were born to women aged 15-19 years old, for a birth rate of 22.3 per 1,000 women in this age group. This is another record for U.S. teens and a drop of 8% from 2014. Although reasons for the declines are not totally clear, evidence suggests these declines are due to more teens abstaining from sexual activity, and more teens who are sexually active using birth control than in previous years. Still, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is substantially higher than in other western industrialized nations, and racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in teen birth rates persist (cdc.gov)." As teenagers (in the United States), we are peer pressured or tempted to try new things. Some teens tend to try out drugs, and alcohol. However, some are having unprotected sex in which, is leads to having babies. This is called, teenage pregnancy. This has caused the United States to create records based off of the statistics and facts given from, researchers across the United States. In order to help prevent teenage pregnancy in the United States, teenagers must understand why, having a baby now isn’t such a smart move on their part.
The most controversial topics that are debated when it comes to the age of emergency contraceptives users are, the accessibility of the pill, safety precautions, and ethical issues. Some argue that Plan B, if available for sale, should only be accessible for purchase to those over the age of 18 due to the possible incline in irresponsible sexual behavior. Others believe Plan B should be made more easily accessible and available without an age restriction as a safe way to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Considering the safety and effectiveness of Plan B, the use of emergency contraceptives, regardless of age, has proven to be more of an advantage to society than it is harmful (Cohen, I. G., Sullivan, L., & Adashi, E. Y.,
Seven hundred fifty thousand teenagers, ages fifteen to nineteen, become pregnant each year (“Facts”). Teenage birth specialists have often debated whether or not teenagers should have access to birth control and other contraceptives. Although some people think teenagers having birth control will promote promiscuity, birth control should be accessible to teens because they will put themselves at a higher risk for disease and pregnancy without it, and more teenage girls would get a high school diploma with it.
Birth control has prevented many unwanted teen pregnancies, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen births in the United States reached a historic low in 2015, which can be explained in large part by an increased use of contraception among young people” (Gebelhoff, Robert). As of right now, women have to get a prescription to get oral contraceptives from their doctor. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, this movement to make access to these contraceptives is supported by them. Although, teenagers are more likely to use birth control pills compared to using condoms, they are not being influenced by their sexual or emotional pressures. This article also says, the public-health benefits from
All over the nation, teenaged girls are becoming sexually active. This leads to the high usage of the morning after pill, also known as the emergency contraceptive. Throughout the U.S. there’s been a debate on what age women or teen girls should be in order to purchase this form of contraceptive. In some states, the minimum age to buy the pill is 17 but some people believe there should be a lowering of that age or to sell the pills on the shelves for anyone to buy instead. The emergency contraceptive pill should be available for teen girls under the age of 17; however, not everyone believes that it should be lowered or sold to women at all. If the age for the plan B pill reduced then it will help reduce the percentage of pregnant teens. Also
The ‘morning-after pill’ also known as emergency contraception, is an “oral drug usually containing high doses of estrogen taken up to usually three days after unprotected sexual intercourse that interferes with pregnancy by inhibiting ovulation or by blocking implantation of a fertilized egg in the human uterus.” One of the most common emergency contraception is Plan B; the history of the pill began when the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug in 1999, making it accessible by prescription only. Fast-forwarding seven years later, the Food and Drug Administration gave permission to sell Plan B over the counter to
Today, sexually active teenagers can get contraceptives to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancies or sexual diseases without a parent’s permission. In some states federal lawmakers have taken away the ability for teens to protect themselves, they want to prevent sexually active teenagers from getting birth control and condoms unless they get parents permission. Preventing teens from getting contraceptives unless they tell a parent will not stop them from having sex. It will drive them away from the services they need to protect themselves, leading to higher rates of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases
Children from homes run by teenage mothers have to face almost insurmountable obstacles in life. The incidents of depression and mental health problems, the lack of father figures, and the high rate of poverty often connected to children in homes run by teenage mothers put them at serious disadvantages when compared to children raised in nuclear families. Many people believe that the implementation of sex education in schools and the addition of more federal aid for single parents are major causes for the country's high rate of teen pregnancies. When the true purpose of sex education and federal aid is to help strengthen the mother and her child so that they can eventually lead productive lives. <br><br>The absence of a father figure in