The pill being non prescription for 13y olds

[tinkerbell23]

Seen that on the news that this is already available over the counter in London and is suggested to be rolled out across the country?

What do you think about that x

[B00]

Agree with OG and sqad.

What we need to get back to is the day where under age sex was frowned upon, not acceptable as it seems to be in this day and age.

Yes, it'll still go on, as im sure it did 30/40/50/etc years ago, but it wouldn't be on the scale that it is now.

Lets please get back to the age where morals and self respect and self worth are instilled in our children.

I am not in favour of doling out the pill to children, but then again im not in favour of sex education for our children either, it's obviously not working is it and seems to be making sex and relationships into a casual thing with no thought or care for its consequences.

[jno]

I sometimes wonder if they shouldn't make abortions harder to get. Not illegal or anything - just huge numbers of forms to fill out and several different offices to visit and so on... so people might think, hey, it'd be less hassle just to get a condom

[B00]

Agree jno.

Yes we can see the need for things like easier abortions, but it my opinion it's made sex and its consequences so much easier for children hasn't it?

[jake-the-peg]

Am I missing a detail here or has everybody taken "daft pills"?

Contraceptive pills are not without risk and can have significant side effects.

Whilst everybodies moral outrage is beng exercised nobody seems to be talking about the issues of pharmacists handing out prescription drugs without prescriptions.

Can we really trust them to do this? and if so where's that little road going to end?

[B00]

This will be relevant to your point Jake :-)

http://www.dailymail....okes-says-mother.html

[joko]

yes i agree it should be available... at 13 they may be 'technically' and legally children, but lets face it physically and mentally they are not ...

they are young adults - they usually have breasts and curves etc, most have started menstruating and they have sexual feelings and emotions and are old enough to act on them, and so do the young boys who are chasing them...so simply telling them not to do it, is naive, confusing and quite simply does not work - it has been the approach for decades and if it worked we wouldnt be having this discussion.

i dont believe being on the pill will encourage underage sex - if they want to do it they will - the fear of STDs and pregnancy is not usually the main reason a girl says no ...
they simply invent other ways they believe will work - i have heard of crisp packets, sandwich bags, downing vodka, jumping up and down, douching,etc etc so why not just give them an eductaed, safe and correct way to deal with it?

[Prudie]

I wonder how many parents of 13 yr old girls would really think this is a good idea. As has been said the pill still has associated risks and although it may be the most effective method of contraception it has no protection against STIs, not forgetting that I believe a good proportion of cervical cancers are believed to originate from HPV (so lots of unprotected partners increases the risk significantly). If they have to far better to promote condom use.
I had curves and feelings at 13 but would never have dreamt of having sex because of the values of society at the time. Why can't we aim to get some of these values back rather than becoming more and more liberal. Quite depressing in my opinion.

[tinkerbell23]

How can we get these values back? I think its a nice idea, but difficult to do.

Not nice to think young kids are at it so young but if they are they should be protected and that means facing up to the reality that it is happening!

Boo...are you against sex ed in general or just a certain age? (just curious!)

Have got to take jakes point though about pharmacists dishing out drugs with no prescription. Not sure where this ends...and how they feel!

Not sure extra forms are going to help with abortions. Xx

[B00]

Boo...are you against sex ed in general or just a certain age? (just curious!)

Pretty much any age to be honest.

I fail to see how Sex Ed has improved our appalling teenage pregnancy record. Perhaps if schools went back to what they used to do, which is teaching our kids to at least spell correctly, they'd have a better start in life rather than go all tree huggy and teaching them things which is clearly not working either- we'd all be better off!

^ My own opinion only, don't expect anyone to agree with it :-)

[tinkerbell23]

Thanks i was just interested.....

I didnt get much of an education at my school about sex...virtually nil!

I personally think education is the way forward and stop being shy about the subject......but agree the spelling, maths etc is most important.....

Same turn though BOO ive not suffered an illeffects from having no sex-ed!! Theres always a flip side isnt there lol xxx

[joko]

prudie - thats idealistic though and wishing things were different doesnt solve anything

boo - people have always had underage sex -it not new thing...but think of all the awful and ridiculous beliefs and ignorance that has been around for years because of the prudish and secretive approach to education ... "not on your first time", "wont happen if you jump", etc etc..some were positively dangerous

more education is whats needed, not less...
and its no use just telling them all about the ins and outs of the biology of it all - spem and egg, the gestation, the birth etc - they need realistic information of how it affetcs life - thats the proper education.

besides itd be impossible to stop it ow, with the internet - at least if its done in schools you can be sure they are at least getting facts etc and not some nonsense off other kids and off the web

i dont agree they should be just dished out though - as has been noted the pill can cause problems and needs proper care

[craft1948]

The daughter went on the pill at 15, she said it was because of her horrific periods and nothing to do with sex.............I, of course, believed her.

[tinkerbell23]

Craft were you glad that she was at least protected from pregnancy?

I put myself on it at 16 long before my mum told me to get on it x

[Mosaic]

It is such a shame that males are not offered and pressured into accepting temporary chemical castration.
I absolutely believe that young people should be encouraged to take charge of their own health and decisions - but there is so much intense media and social pressure on young girls in particular, and I fear that this decision to allow kids to get the pill by themselves just adds to the reasons why a girl can't say no.

[tinkerbell23]

That is a fair point mosaic!

Roll on the male pill!! Xx

[Sqad]

Mosaic

It is such a shame that males are not offered and pressured into accepting temporary chemical castration

Good point.........and i agree...........but this is not safe, established or available.

[Mosaic]

Sure Sqad - neither was the pill before ?1958......

How much simpler life would be if testicles had to be issued on licence.

[Sqad]

Sure Sqad - neither was the pill before ?1958......

and before 1958, teenaged pregnancy was at it's lowest, so the pill didn't help that much.

The problem is that there are too many financial and social advantages to being unmarried and pregnant, ......surely these must cease.

Pre 1958.....one was too scared to become pregnant..........so basically onr tried not to and compared with the last 20 years it seemed to have worked.

[tinkerbell23]

Im skint....and also scared to become pregnant- and would NEVER because im not financially able to care for a child x

[sandyRoe]

Were there not lots of orphanages dotted across the UK in the 1950s? Not all the children who grew up in them were the result of teenage pregnancies but a good proportion must have been.