Monday, March 30, 2009

Plan B For Minors

While watching TV this weekend, a debate over the recent ruling and safety of Plan B for minors took place. The proponents of the plan said, there were no risks to a young girl's health. The opponents stated that parental involvement was primary in this discussion. I think the facts are what really count. Here they are ...

How does Plan B work? Plan B is believed to act as an emergency contraceptive principally, by preventing ovulation, or fertilization. (by altering tubal transport of sperm and or ova). This is why ectopic pregnancy is a risk for anyone taking Plan B. It may inhibit implantation by altering the lining of the uterus. Plan B is not a contraceptive if the woman is pregnant. However, Plan B may cause a newly conceived embryo, because it cannot implant in the wall of the uterus,to die. Therefore Plan B is both contraceptive and abortifacient.

Plan B, or the "Morning After Pill" (MAP) lacks testing for safety. Access to the drug over the counter, or without a prescription, would prompt use among consumers, who unknowingly have medical conditions, that put them at high risk of life threatening complication. If complications occur, it will be difficult for doctors to treat, when the girl's medical history is unknown or hidden. The MAP is a high dose of the birth control pill, which requires a medical exam, a prescription and physician oversight. Birth control pills can cause significant or life threatening conditions..ie..for example blood clots, stroke and heart attacks. Birth control pills are contra-indicated for women with diabetes, liver problems, heart disease, breast cancer, deep vein thrombosis (blood clots) and for women who smoke and are over 35. Physician oversight is necessary to ensure that none of these contra-indications exist. According to the CDC, approximately 1.85 million women of reproductive age (18 - 44) have diabetes, approximately 500,000 do not know they are sick.

Now we want our kids to have access to Plan B without any involvement of the parent? The rapists of this world will be happy with that decision. This pill could be slipped to young girls by the statutory rapist to cover up their abuse of adolescents.

In watching TV, the debate centered over the use of condoms verses MAP. Everyone agreed that condoms protected the user from sexually transmitted diseases, as did MAP. I thought about that, knowing of course that condoms don't protect from STD's, neither does the morning after pill, and listening to experts saying they did. This brought to mind the lies that promote sexually promiscuity. I wonder if TV debaters know that sexually transmitted disease rates have sky-rocketed. Why? Condoms don't protect from STD's, nor do they protect the heart.

The high dose of hormones that are in Plan B, pose a huge risk for young women. Are we not concerned about young girl's health, rather than the comprehensive sex agenda?

I wonder whose going to pay for Plan B? Planned Parenthood has offered the MAP (you need 2 doses after unprotected sex at $30 to $50 a dose). Perhaps it's in the stimulus package.

Regions that have allowed easy access to MAP have noted a significant increase in sexually transmitted diseases. The highest increases were among the 16 to 19 yr. olds. Many teenagers would be less confident in resisting sexual pressure, if easy access to the MAP is available.

Even Morning After Pill (MAP) promoters agree that sexually active girls are likely victims of sexual abuse and interaction with medical professionals is an important defense. If over the counter Plan B to 17 yr olds becomes the normative, that defense will disappear, leaving our children once again victims of a society that doesn't care about them.

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