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Should Emergency Contraceptive Be Made For Teens?

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Should Emergency Contraceptive be Made Available to Teens?

Emergency contraception, also known as the morning after pill, is one alternative to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. The morning after pill is only available by prescription and or over the counter (with proof of being 18 years or older). In 2006, the purchase age for the morning after pill was lowered to17. In the United States, there is an average of 1 million teen pregnancy reported every year. Of those 1 million girls, 38% of which depend on abortion as an alternative. Teenage girls age 13-16 are more like to result to abortion, since their access to obtain the morning after pill is less likely because of their age. It is known that most teens are private and keep lots of information about themselves from their parents. The Morning after pill has to be taken within the first 72 hours of unprotected sex to be effective. With that being said, a young teen girl (who has had unprotected sex) would have to openly tell her parents about a mistake she made just days before it happening in order for her parent to go to the drug store to purchase the emergency contraceptive. This option leaves younger teens with fewer resources to turn too. With the younger generation growing so quickly and becoming more and more aware about life, it can be difficult to think that some teens are not going to have sex. Emergency contraceptive should be available to everyone, so that everyone is given the same opportunity for

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