re: #3 Simply Sarah

My main thrust was to broaden the scope of the discussion and point out that pregnancy is not the sole issue. I certainly agree that there are many more variables than one, and probably more than the additional ones I listed.

A few responses:

There may be some small bit of truth to this, but I’d counter that many young women in that age range either are going to be feeling pressured into it anyway or will not be able to afford Plan B OTC without an adult.

The risk of pregnancy is a deterrent to unprotected sex. Condoms are cheaper than Plan B. I am not suggesting by the way that Plan B has only negative effects and I hope you don’t interpret my post in that way.

You seems to be implying that it would result in an increase in unsafe sex or young women being pressured into unsafe sexual conduct.

That is exactly what I am suggesting. I cannot predict the future, but it is certainly conceivable.

This type of reasoning tends to, at best, walk the line of the anti-abortion, anti-contraception view of punishment/leaving pregnancy there as a risk to deter sexual activity.

I actually resent this statement. My reasoning does nothing of the sort. My entire argument is framed in such a way as to add necessary depth to the examination of providing Plan B OTC to younger teens and to expand the discussion beyond the issue of unwanted pregnancy. Contraception should be freely available. So should proper education on human sexuality and reproductive health. Abortions should be legal and safe. However, I shouldn’t imagine that cervical cancer or HIV are any more desirable than a pregnancy.

forcing Plan B to be behind the counter and require an ID makes it harder for women 17+ to get access to it, since they need an ID to avoid needing a prescription. It also means being forced to deal with a strange pharmacist or pharmacy tech at a critical time, which isn’t exactly the easier thing to do

I understand that. Again, my point is not that I have a solution, but that the discussion is not quite as simple as reproductive choice and conservative v. progressive. There are no pat answers or perfect solutions. I do think that any addition to the armory of drugs needs to go hand-in-glove with improvements in education and the strengthening of girls’ ability to assert their right to protected sex.

Young women had unprotected sex before Plan B and making it harder for them to get it won’t stop that.

The rate of unprotected sex has been going up, as I quote in my post. This increase has gone apace with increases in HIV transmission and cervical cancer. I would like to see these issues addressed with as much vigour as pregnancy.