From Baby Dolls to Babies?
It seems to me that some adult should know if a young teen is in a relationship that may lead to pregnancy, and if Plan B requiring a prescription for teens under 16 is the way that is going to get a teen to talk to an adult, then so be it.
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I have a good reason for not being outraged that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathrine Sebelius did not allow the Plan B contraceptive to be sold to young teen girls without a doctor's prescription.
For many years, I was one of those creatures and I know how they are treated by other teens and even men. In a way, I was lucky that my parents raised me to be more scared of hurting them, than of the boys and men that tried to "get me" in those days and immediately broke off any relationship in which a guy tried to get under my clothes or take something off.
It happened a number of times.
But the over 18 guys were the worst and many were looking, apparently, for the youngest girls. Talking with a group of 18 year old males while hanging with some friends my age I suddenly found a guy's hand going down my blouse and had to run home to get away from those people.
From what I've seen in life since then, the situation hasn't gotten any better.
We found out a neighbor of ours raped my daughter's friend for 5 years, starting when she was seven. He was only discovered because he tried to get a friend of her's involved in a three way and the second pre teen instead ran home and told her father what was going on. (BTW, because the raped girl did not record the dates and times of the rapes, the police said there was no case to be built against him. Go Figure!).
If no adult has to be brought into the discussion, and notice Plan B for young teens doesn't need parental consent, just a prescription, then who is going to protect young teens who apparently are still the focus of sexual predation by older teens and adults?
One study I read also noted that older men with teens often form an psychologically abusive bond as well as sexually advanced one. And if a young teen gets a disease from a partner, it might be caught if she is required to visit a physician for Plan B.
I had a daughter who got pregnant much too young and needed an abortion. I only learned about it later. Girls in school find someone who can tell them how to get to Planned Parenthood for the test and the clinic for the operation. Someone will tell them how to get help for Plan B.
I don't want to wage a war with those who think all ages should get Plan B via OTC sales, but please tell me how young teens are going to get the help they need if they are targeted by predatory males without some need to tell some adult?
So are you really too wrapped up in your own lives to care what happens to young teen girls in the real world? Well, then, maybe a doctor won't be.
