Ethical Dilemma in the News: Plan B for Teenage Girls Without Prescription

In the United States, twenty six states allow minors, defined as children twelve and older, to consent to contraceptive services; Michigan allows some minors, such as those who are married or have previously been pregnant, to consent; four states have no standing laws or policy (“An Overview” 1-2). The contraceptive access also varies across the country. Some states require comprehensive sexual education and for teens to be able to access contraceptives. Some lean more towards abstinence only education in the hopes teens will steer away from sexual activities. There are also scattered clinics where teens can receive birth control. For many parents, this term conjures up images of teenage sex or pregnancy, which can cause them to ignore its

The subject of abortion has created some of the most controversial, social, and moral debates in United States history. On Jan. 22, 1973, in the case Roe Vs. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that it was a woman’s constitutional right to have an abortion during the first trimester of the pregnancy (The Ruling). Still other interest groups argue that human life begins at conception and having an abortion is murder to an unborn child. These opposing viewpoints create a delicate political and social debate in which the lives of unborn children are placed in the center. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the RU 486 “abortion pill”, citing that the “overall safety of the pill is excellent”(Food

Teens should be allowed to purchase birth control without parental consent because many parents agree that their child is mature to make the decision on their own. The author of “Contrceptive should be available to teens without parental consent claims that birth control is a freedom of fundamental human rights.” If teens are making the decision to have sex without parental consent birth control should be the same when it comes to protecting themselves against pregnancy and other life changing decisions. Furthermore, many teens are not open when it comes to talking to their parents about sex not to mention birth control. Birth control should be attained without parental consent unless the individual decides if her parents should be involved.

A 16-year-old girl visits a birth control clinic and asks to be put on the pill. Since she is a minor, the clinic doctor who writes the prescription for her notifies her parents of the action. As of the year 2016, there are only 26 states that allow minors to obtain contraceptives without parental consent. There are 20 states that allow certain minors to obtain contraceptives without parental consent and those include minors that are married or who have already been pregnant. Four states have no laws on parental consent (Gutimacher Institute, 2016). This ethical controversy leaves room for an open interruption of whether or not minors should need parental consent to gain access to birth control, to apply ethical reasoning to this controversy one must examine the ethical principles of utilitarianism, rights-based, duty-based, justice based, and virtue-based ethics.

In our society today, the topic of birth control and other contraceptives for teens is a stirring debate. Teens are more promiscuous and sexually active than ever before; as early as middle school, we are seeing more teenage pregnancies, STD’s, and abortions than ever. Teenagers are not comfortable discussing their sexual activity with their parents and as a result they are seeking out other ways to gain access to birth control and other forms of contraceptives without parental consent. Access to birth control reduces the number of unintended teenage pregnancies and abortions each year, and access to birth control also fuels teenage promiscuity and encourages sex outside of marriage.

Currently Teenagers are trying to grow up too quickly. They want to be just like the TV characters they idolize and will change themselves to do so. There are shows on TV like “16 and pregnant” that basically insinuate; if you have sex and get pregnant then you will get paid to be on television. Most teens do not go to their parents for birth control because they are afraid. In general teenagers do not want their parents knowing they are having sex. Having access to birth control, with or without the parents permission, can be a touchy subject. With this point, getting birth control without parental consent is a debatable

In addition, abortion is a major topic in America. Some people believe it is a woman’s right to decide on whether or not they want the pregnancy, and some believe that no matter what the view is it is considered murder. However, by placing emergency contraceptives on the shelf, as Nucatola states, this will ultimately lower the abortion rate. Let’s face it, everyone is human and everyone makes mistake, if doctors and pharmacist are able to come up with a solution to end unwanted pregnancies without performing abortion, would people be for it or against it? Unfortunately, although a solution was found, emergency

In today’s society, there seems to be younger teens engaging in sexual activity and it would be good to know that they have the pill available as a backup plan. This would let them know that if they do happen to have unprotected sex they know that they have an easy and safe option that would prevent a pregnancy. It is always nice to have this reassurance. The bills that have been proposed to allow this to happen have stated that if they are younger than seventeen, they need to have a prescription. This is not a bad proposal at all, it is smart and reasonable, but it continues to get rejected. Bills that proposed to allow fifteen year olds to get a hold of Plan B have all failed except for one in 2013. Alexander Otto, author of the article "Plan B One-Step now OTC for women 16 years old". Just by the title it means that Plan B can be bought by young teens as long as they have a form of identification, this was finally approved by the

Plan B One-Step emergency contraceptive is a well-known form of last minute birth control among women. It is used as a back-up plan if birth control fails or unprotected sex is had without birth control. The product itself is controversial because it is considered a form of abortion by many people. This ad was found in People magazine, a gossip/tabloid magazine commonly found near the registers at grocery stores, supermarkets and other various convenience stores. Glancing over the page, it seems harmless enough and like a good thing for those who need it. Upon further analyzing, this advertisement shows the pressure put upon girls in America and the problem of lack of proper sexual education.

Thesis statement: In order to explain why contraceptives are becoming such a necessity in schools today, I will share how teen parenthood is being glorified, reasons for such an increase in teenage pregnancies, and how effective distributing contraceptives would be.

Teen girls between the ages of 15 and 18 should be able to receive birth control and contraceptive without the consent of their parents because most believe that’s a good mature age. Birth control is a crucial factor in preventing pregnancies. Birth control motivates young females to be responsible and have knowledge about their sexual health and also have control on their general health. After interviewing

Within the pro-choice world there are many issues that are discussed like abortion, the instant where life begins and the use of contraceptives. This article will focus on not only the issue of using of contraceptives, but specifically the distribution of oral contraceptives (“the pill”) to teenage girls without their parent’s consent.

Those who disagree think providing birth control promotes promiscuity and premarital sexual activity. In the article “At Issue: Birth Control Availability,” the author argues that access to birth control and other contraceptives for

Today, sexually active teenagers can get contraceptives to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancies or sexual diseases without a parent’s permission. In some states federal lawmakers have taken away the ability for teens to protect themselves, they want to prevent sexually active teenagers from getting birth control and condoms unless they get parents permission. Preventing teens from getting contraceptives unless they tell a parent will not stop them from having sex. It will drive them away from the services they need to protect themselves, leading to higher rates of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases

Quindlen, “Sex Ed” Wake Tech: English 111 Reader, edited by Wayde Vickrey, et al., 2nd ed., Hayden Mcneil, 2017, pp. 209-211. In “Sex Ed” Quindlen tells a story of when she was in one of New York City’s poorest neighborhoods, at a family planning clinic. While she visited the clinic, she came to find herself at a table with a few sixteen year old girls. As Quindlen listened to the girl's conversation, she could tell they were very knowledgeable when it came to sex, contraception, and the human body. She found this to be ironic due to the fact that they were all pregnant. In the author's opinion, simply informing children of the mechanics of sex is not enough to decrease the rate of teenage pregnancy but rather teach them the moral repercussions of sex in addition to the mechanics.