Lifestyles / Young Women
Easy Access to the Pill

Family planning clinics and GP's won’t be as crowded with women and embarrassed young teenagers due to a pilot scheme allowing pharmacists to handover the pill without a prescription.

This will be available from two London primary care trusts, Southwark and Lewisham, Pulse magazine says, and if the pilot scheme is a success, women and teenagers over 16 will be entitled to obtain them just like the morning after pill.

Recent abortion figures revealed that the annual toll for England and Wales has now topped 200,000 according to www.christian.org.uk.

The main issue is to make it easily accessible for women and teenagers to obtain the pill but also to reduce pregnancy, especially amongst teenagers, but could this also be promoting the contraceptive and encouraging teenagers to have sex?

Would it also encourage girls under 16 to try and see if they can try and obtain the pill over the counter claiming that they are the right age?

Another factor to consider is the health risk.  When visiting a doctor or nurse, checks are made such as blood pressure, being weighed and health questions are discussed thoroughly.  After all, the pill can cause blood clotting and thrombosis.  There is also the risk of gaining a sexually transmitted disease. 

“People must be helped to make informed choices about the type of contraception that is right for them and suits their lifestyles.”  Says Simon Blake is Chief Executive of Brook, the leading Sexual Health Charity for young people under 25 in the United Kingdom.

Would these same checks be taken over a counter in a pharmacy?

Julie Bentley, Chief Executive of the Family Planning Association says,
“Pharmacists are highly skilled professionals with the right training and clinical support, they are well placed to conduct consultations with women, ensure patient safety and prescribe the pill in the same way that nurses already do.”

I asked some URSpecial teen representatives what they thought about the pilot scheme and these are some of the responses;

“I don’t like the idea, I prefer going to the doctor as they discuss the right pill for me and possible side effects.”

“Hassle free and easier to go to the chemist then to wait to see the doctor.”

“Sounds convenient with easy access to the pill, however, it is safer to get professional advice from the doctor.”