The 'modesty' card that will get teenage girls the morning after pill without embarrassment

[AB Asks]

Schoolgirls are being provided with modesty cards, credit cards for contraception, so they do not get embarrassed about asking for it. All they will need to do is place their cards on the pharmacist's counter. The scheme, which is being trialled in Weymouth, is hoped to cut the number of unwanted teen pregnancies. Some people think that it will in fact encourage people to have a 'too relaxed' attitude towards sex. What do you think? Will this cut 'embarrassment'?

[redcrx]

embarassed to buy a pill or condoms and yet are not embarassed to have sex!?

The worlds gone mad!

But at least it may encourage those who get themselves into that situation to actually try and prevent a pregnancy somehow!

[burnouts]

yes it may encourage a more relaxed attitude to sex but then atleast the opportunity of the morning after pill is there for them. better to encourage teenagers to use the pill than them feel uneasy bout asking for it so in the end having a child that was not planned. my friend fell pregnant at 18 to a boy that she did not really know that well when i asked her if it was something that she wanted and could cope with for the rest ofher life she said not really but she was too embarrased to do anything about it so i went to the pharmacist to get the pill for her and she thanks for me for it now because she is 21 and had just had her 1st child with someone she is engaged to and they are very happy

[burnouts]

at least our society is finally taking a step in the right direction. hopefully we will have less children walking our streets with children of their own!!

[Aprilis]

Whilst the idea of more casual sex among young teens mortifies us 'older' people, it generally isn't going to change someone's life beyond recognition. Whereas a pregnancy at such a young age definitely will. As the mother of a young daughter I'm all for easy access to the morning after pill. That doesn't mean I am condoning under-age unprotected sexual activity, far from it, it means that if it is going to happen (and there is little we can do to stop it other than try and educate our children) there is added protection from unwanted pregnancies.

[redcrx]

aprilis, AIDS would certainly change a teenagers life!
the numbers of people diagnosed with AIDS and HIV is apparently increasing again each year.

I didnt mean that we shouldnt find a way to help those young girls find a way to avoid pregnancy, I meant that it would be better if they were able to buy condoms etc to protect again pregnancy and STDs. After all the morning after pill can only prevent a pregnancy if used early enough and certainly wouldnt prevent and STD.

Yes Im an 'older' person but i will make sure when my son reaches his teens that he is well aware of what STDs can do, just as much as telling him about teenager pregnancies and parenthood.

[Aprilis]

Redcrx, I agree with you about AIDS, but I was specifically referring to the morning after pill. Nobody should put themselves at risk of AIDS or any STD and should always protect themselves by using condoms. The subject of the morning after pill assumes that no protection was used as usually this would negate the need for the m.a.p. Protection before the event is ALWAYS the right thing to do and not rely on damage limitation after the event. But if it's going to happen, which it will of course as some people you just can't get through to, then it's another measure in place.

[Aprilis]

I did say that generally it won't change a teenager's life, but I take your point as on reading this back it did appear that I have a bit of a casual attitude towards it. If you knew me though you would know that certainly isn't the case! I guess when addressing such a serious subject in a post one has to choose one's words more carefully! :-)

[ChocolatChip]

I'm young(ish) And I think this is a good idea, although where I work we listen to the radio a lot. A week or so ago this was the discussion on there. And no-one had a good word to say about it. I think it's a great idea for girls to be able to get free morning after pills and having cards. They are being slightly more responsible for their actions.
Athough I believe as pretty much everyone else said- condoms are much better to be given out more rather than the pill. Because they protect against more than pregnancies.
The government are really just trying to cover their backs, who'd want the statement 'highest teen pregnancy rates in europe' after all?

[ChocolatChip]

Oh, and about being underage and being able to get the pill easier will make no difference. If they want to have sex, they will... free contraception or not.

[redcrx]

sorry Aprilis, It wasnt directing that whole answer at you though I can see it looked like that.

[Seafarer1966]

It's a great idea. We have too many kids running around with too young mothers who aren't interested in their well being. That's why we have problems with kids running wild and the need for Asbo's.

Kids will always go off and experiment and have sex. We have to provide the youngsters with the stuff necessary to look after themselves. I have a 12 year old son. In a couple of years I will put a box of condoms in his sock drawer. Whether or not he wants them he will know that they are there if he ever needs them

[funnygirl]

This is ridiculous. Modesty cards! If the girls are embarassed to ask for the morning after pill, won't they be equally embarassed when slapping down their modesty cards??!!

[redcrx]

and another thing, has anyone ever had the need to get the morning after pill? I have once and the amount of questions you get asked by the pharmacist means that they will have to get over the embarassment anyway to answer them. Or are the pharmacists going to be giving them out just because a cards handed over, without having checked whether itll be taken within the time limit etc.

[Skreecheeboy]

In my humble opinion women shouldn't be on the pill in the first place. When are they going to start drumming it into the young lads that they should be responsible for contraception and they should all be using condoms?! Messing around with evolution they are by dishing out pills. The pill doesn't protect you from STDs!

[HJT40]

Call me old fashioned, but aren't our moral standards slipping? Why do we accept this kind of standard now?

When we had "old fashioned" family values, was there as much AIDS and STI's about? Of course there were children born out of marriage, but the more this world seems to evolve the worse it seems to make it. These things are done for the sake of progress, but personally I don't believe it makes things better.

I have a 13 year old daughter. I would not agree to her having a modesty card. Girls of that age are the responsibility of the parent and, I would like to think that we have the family values still in place that she respects me enough to discuss things with me and, god forbid, anything did ever happen I would rather we discussed the situation than making it so easy to pop in to a chemist and take a tablet.

It is about time kids learned that sex is not a game. It can be dangerous for many reasons and they should respect the fact that it is something that should wait until they are older and mature enough to be responsible for the physical and emotional responsibilities that come with it.

Otherwise we are condoning children at school having sex, when they should be enjoying their childhood as a child, not as an adult.

[Octavius]

I presume they can have an accompanying set of cards as appropriate for:

�I need treatment for Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, Genital Herpes, Chlamydia, Chancroid, Trichomoniasis, and to complete the set: Pubic Lice�. All to save any embarrassment of course.

Heavens above, what next? Cards for Haemorrhoids and Cystitis, or spare Colostomy Bags?

[dot.hawkes]

I wonder if there will be something like '3 strikes and your out' with these? Hopefully they have a limited 'credit' and if they have to use the card more than a few times then they are sent somewhere for a serious talking to.

[HJT40]

Kids need to learn the meaning of two words, respect and responsibility.

Respect for themselves and responsibility for their actions.

[jen157]

This is always a long discussion on one hand you don't want them getting pregnant and on the other your encouraging them to have sex it's really quite messed up. There defiantly needs to be a balance between them. Parents need to play a huge role in there children's life and explain about STD's and pregnancy.