HLT 110 71 A
Assignment 2
Emergency contraceptive is a form of birth control that is used to prevent unwanted pregnancy after sexual intercourse. The “Morning after pill”, must be taken within a five day time frame after sexual intercourse. This form of birth control can be very helpful to those who have an issue with their current birth control failing, sexual intercourse without prophylactics, or even in the case of rape. However, the morning after pill does not guarantee that a woman will not become pregnant. Nor does the pill abort an already gestated fetus in the womb. The morning after pill simply makes the conditions in the vagina less favorable for conception.
Plan B, an emergency contraceptive is used to prevent or delay ovulation and may also impede the fertilization of an egg. Plan B, like any other medication has several side affects, although most are very mild. Symptoms can include: Nausea, lower abdominal pain, fatigue, dizziness, breast tenderness, and headache. However, if one is allergic to levonorgestrel or any other of the ingredients in the pill it should be avoided.
The morning after pill is currently available at drug stores as an over the counter medication that is available without a prescription. However, it is not available to women under the age of eighteen without parental consent. This age limit is unfortunate, because many teens are having sexual intercourse. A human being, at any age should have the rights to his or her own body, this includes the choice of preventing unwanted pregnancy. I do not feel that this should take the place of birth control, or condoms; however, I would much rather a person prevent a teenage pregnancy than have a child of their own. While we should preach abstinence and safe sex to the youth of our society, we should be realistic in our expectations and allow them the opportunity to make a smarter choice for themselves, without the handholding or the chastisement that comes