Back Up Your Birth Control Day.
I’m posting this for one reason.
To get the word out, to let you know it is out there because 60% of voters say they do not know about EC or any product that has been proven effective in preventing pregnancy when used within days after unprotected sex. EC is for preventing pregnancy, not destroying an already fertilized egg.
“Emergency contraception (EC), also known as the “morning-after” pill, is simply a concentrated dose of ordinary birth-control pills that can substantially reduce a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant when taken within days of unprotected sex. EC does not cause abortion; rather it prevents pregnancy by inhibiting ovulation, fertilization, or implantation before a pregnancy occurs. EC is safe, effective, and simple to use and is not associated with any serious or harmful side effects. EC is not dangerous to women with particular medical conditions, and women can diagnose their own need for the treatment.”
“Emergency contraception can significantly reduce a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant when taken within days of unprotected sex, and it is more effective the sooner it is taken. The morning-after pill is extremely safe: it’s approved by the FDA and if a woman is already pregnant when she takes it, the medication won’t harm the pregnancy.”
Increased awareness and education to teens about emergency contraception, along with increased sex education and non reliance on abstinence only education, could greatly reduce these statistics.
Although he FDA recently approved EC for over-the-counter sales for individuals ages 18 and older women still face barriers when trying to obtain the medication. The earlier this drug is taken the more effective it is so finding ways to facilitate access to EC without delay is crucial. Finding a way for teenage girls to have access to and full knowledge of this drug is even more so. 300,000 U.S. teens get pregnant every year.
The United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world. EC is safe and effective for women of all ages and that over-the-counter access to EC does not increase or encourage sexual activity among teens. Anything that makes it harder for teenagers to avoid unintended pregnancy is bad medicine and bad public policy.”
Studies show that increased access to emergency contraception does not cause teen promiscuity or increase other risk-taking behaviors. National health experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, continue to reaffirm that unintended pregnancy poses a much graver health risk to young women, than EC.
Teens are able to use EC safely and effectively. There is no medical reason to exclude teens from OTC access to EC.
The fact is, teens have sex.
This country needs to get on board here and realize that there are some things that can not be legislated, no matter how many abstinence only education classes you give or how many laws you enact.
Teenage girls need to be made aware of this option and it needs to be available to them without a prescription.
Great informative site for teens:
Back up your Birth Controll
Advocate for Youth.
Teens Health.
Other sites:
The Emergency Contraception Website
Back up your Birth Control dot org.
Planned Parenthood.
Womens Health dot Gov.
Emergency Contraception Pharmacy Program.
International Consortium for Emergency Contraception.
AMWA
Get the Pill dot com.
50 State Summary of Emergency Contraception Laws
Help educate and spread the word in your community, and send this to a women you love, or ten.
Great post!
Well-said.
The key here is getting the word out because this knowledge is not general. Even I think of plan B and the abortion pill as the same thing.
I will pass this on.
I’m with you.
I linked you up.
It seems so simple, so obvious.
The question for the human condition, is why is the obvious not done?
One could make snide remarks about how the same people who now fight contraception are descendants of the same people who fought against the evidence that the earth is round and is not the center of the universe.
But that would not be helpful. Unless you were prepared to back up such remarks with overwhelming force.
Far better if we all understood the issues. For instance, why men should understand how this is in his best interest. But that will work (presumably) for a wealthy man, who can afford to wait and choose, far better than a poor man, who has to take what he can get, and will fight to keep what little opportunity he has.
If I get started on this, I’ll still be writing in this box next Tuesday. And I’m supposed to be on a plane then.
Well done.
Teens didn’t have sex when I was a teenager. It was invented later.
Coop, thanks for posting this.
I’m in Colorado a place where they want to Outlaw all abortions.
A place where some are still fighting for this right against a governor who have a heavy veto finger and
Senate members who live in some kind of other world
Senate members who live in some kind of other world.
The governor is a real sicko slick one as well.
Working on it
I’ve been trying to think of something eloquent to say, but it all boils down to this: This is a good thing. This has the potential of ending pregnancies from rapes, attacks, and nights of lapsed judgement. Ideally, contraception will be taken care of beforehand for people who don’t want to get pregnant. But “ideally” rarely works in the real world, and having a backup like this can give everyone a bit of piece-of-mind.
I expect this might even lower the abortion rate. Abortion does need to stay legal and available, but with EC, fewer women will need to go through a painful process to keep control over their own bodies.
No one working in the medical industry who denies access to EC should be allowed to keep their job. Attributing opposition to this to “morals” is the stance of an asshole or a moron or both and there’s no way to escape that.
Of course I agree, but we all know those special “proud to be an eve-angelical red NECK state” people — ain’t gonna let dis ere fly…
Because this type of contraception would ultimately encourage their temptations for continued incestuous sexual relations with their children.…We CAN’T allow them to have these addictions so easily fed…
They simple refuse logic..
BTW a friend has let me borrow the first 4 seasons of Smallville on DVD and I swear I can’t look at actress Erica Durance who plays Louis Lane without thinking of you…But you’re much prettier (if she’s your sister, I’m just joking)
here’s the actress
http://www.unificationfrance.com/IMG/jpg/smallville_erica_durance_1.jpg
Am I wrong?…some resemblance?
Guys should be aware of this too.
G, speaking just for this guy, keeping up with the various forms of birth control is not something I need to be scolded or even encouraged to do. I think about preventing pregnancy more than I do risking it.
Em: I had no idea Colorado was such a bitch in regard to all that. I think of snowboarding and I think of Colorado and conservative doesn’t even enter my mind.
Jason: Feel better boy influenza is horrible.
Doug: Did you intent it? because someone told me.….…
G: yea, only in order to discuss it they really have no say in whether the girls takes it or not.
Bennet:: Actually I look more like Sophia Coppola — at least that is what the celebrity picture thing always said. My face is
slightly asymmetric. The breasts of course yeah prefect like mine.
ha ha
Wombat: No one should deny the right of anyone having sex to have access to it either, no matter their age.
Coyote: Sometimes iF you all read what I write it is enough. The fact that i have a lot of people reading this is good enough for me. Some things are informational and I don’t want you all to think you have to comment on things such as t his.
Of course I love when you do.
oc: Your right and that issue is worthy of discussion and you are best to do it…maybe on the plane you will write a lot of goodness and light… or heavy whatever.
I am envious of you and the access to all that lovely surf, not to mention the Ahi is spectacular there.
Once again, you always make me feel like I don’t do enough for the world at large and that I should widen the scope of topics I write on.
Good job, Miss Cooper. lol
Of course, Cooper. The missionary position was mine. Oral sex was invented by a Galician monk in 1986.
Oral sex was invented by a Galician monk in 1986.
Too funny.
I purposely didn’t write about the pharmacists who put their own “morals” above the law and true morals, because I’m sick of thinking about them
This public service announcement was brought to you by.….….….….….…
Good girl.
I don’t know why so many people aren’t ware of this.
I’m not sure if it’s been suppressed or ignored but it is important.
I hate when comments are off.