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Should 13 year old girls be able to get the pill?

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Original post by hannah1994

I think its digusting that kids - note 'kids' - are having sex at 13. Whats the rush? They should at least wait until 15/16. But then again I do think it should be offered as a 13 year old pregnant girl is no way responsible or mature enough to be a mum, despite how well they rise to the challenge its still way too young.

This is how I feel about it. I am sorry, but sex at 13 is simply revolting. However, the last thing we need is 13 year olds having children, so if they are going to have sex, they better take the Pill.

Reply 21

TheHansa

Original post by Forget that

The fact that there is a discussion about 13 year olds getting the pill just shows what a state society is in

I agree. We need to look at ways of protecting girls not limiting damage.

Reply 22

Hopple

Original post by prema32

I wish that could happen but I think that would be breaking the law that they have made haha! Surely if they are trying to stop teen pregnancies and encourage safe sex then parents would be useful in speaking to their own kids about these issues. rather than allowing parents to be completely shut out because now you can go get the pill, family planning advice and sti clinics etc completely without your parents knowledge. - the government don't seem to be doing themselves any favours in this respect

The law's changeable :tongue:

Sure, the girls might feel betrayed, but they'll understand if/when they have daughters of their own.

Reply 23

Forget that

Original post by daviddd!1994

teenage pregnancy is far lower now than it once was. The only reason we are having this discussion is because abortion and contraception is more acceptable these days. Stop being so cynical! :tongue:

Wow, 10 seconds after i post and i get a neg, that must some kind of record lol :rolleyes:

Anyway, i still believe it's wrong for a 13 year old to be having sex, and there are lots of things in society today which promote young children wanting to, and it really agitates me.
Of course contraception should be readily available, but at the same time, by having it tossed a round like nothing it just shows a lack of control really... 14 year old, okay pushing it, but if my daughter had sex at 13 i would not feel good about myself.

Reply 24

prema32

Original post by Bhumbauze

My first instinct was yes, that it's preferrable to teen pregnancies... however, thinking about it for a moment, surely messing with the hormone levels of an adolescent is not a good idea? Who knows what the long term effects might be? The pill can have some pretty nasty hormonal effects on adult women... it just can't be a good idea to be pumped full of that synthetic crap in the middle of puberty.

I also think there's the risk of encouraging unprotected (in STI terms) sex... for most teens, pregnancy seems like a much more "real" immediate risk than getting an STI - so while the fear of an unwanted baby might prompt them to use a condom... if that risk is removed, the fear of getting an STI won't be enough. Everyone knows the risks - yes - but you know what teenagers are like. They won't believe that THEIR boyfriend or girlfriend who-they-love-so-very-much(-this-week) could potentially have some dirty STI. Couple that with the unfortunate truth about condoms - that they blatantly make sex not feel as good for either party - and you've basically got chlamidia running riot in schools... ...

I hadn't though about the STI argument - that's a really good point! And I suppose also that there's a lot of emotional involvement that people haven't really discussed - how can a 13 year old girl really assess how she feels about the person she is going to lose her virginity to!! I think it's going to encourage children to basically ruin their innocence from such a young age, and the pill can be tricky too - what if they forget to take it one day and they still end up pregnant?!

Reply 25

Bhumbauze

Original post by balletlover

It's quite disgusting the amount of kids having sex so young. :| Actually baffles me why you would want to have sex at that age.
A girl in my school was actually sleeping round in year 7 and ending up pregnant by the start of year 8. I hadn't even had my first kiss by then...

Yes a girl at my school got pregnant when she had just turned 12 :s-smilie:

. The dad was 19 too, which is pretty revolting. It was all a bit of a scandal really - my school, although a state school, was a "good" state school with mainly very middle class pupils / parents and I think everyone was more than a little shocked :lol:

. I saw her on a bus with her son when I was home from Uni one summer... aged 20... with her 7/8 year old... it was quite mind-boggling.

That said - it's just the unfortunate truth that, while 13 is a little young in most "normal" situations, there are quite a few teens having sex ages towards the end of 14, and at 15. Psychologically, it's not weird, abnormal or surprising... most 14 year olds - whilst children in the eyes of the law - have physically reached sexual maturity, and will have the biological urge to be having sex like any adult. Combine desire with opportunity, and all that's stopping them is willpower. Which again, unfortunately, most teenagers lack.

Reply 26

iJess

Yes I think with good reason they should. I was 13 when a doctor prescribed me the pill to help with my heavy periods. I was having periods lasting up to 3 weeks where I'd be bed ridden. Now after 3 different pills I've found one I'm used to and gives me extremely light periods. My lifestyle is much better thanks to it, and I'm now 16 and still on it.

Many girls use it for periods, and even if 13 years olds having sex were on it, it would reduce the cost of teenage pregnancy. The pill costs about £3 for 6 months of it I think? The only issue I;d have with being able to buy it from chemists is I get my checkups at the doctors every 3 months before I can get another 3 months prescription. If they're able to buy it over the counter they probably won't be getting check ups - blood pressure, weight, height, breasts checked etc and family history probably won't be checked so that's quite a risk really.

Reply 27

No Future

Gillick competence. If the 13 yo is able to understand the risks and benefits of taking the pill and how to take it, then yes give them the pill.

Reply 28

Forget that

Original post by TheHansa

I agree. We need to look at ways of protecting girls not limiting damage.

Thank you
Having agreed with what i said, i now agree with what you say :biggrin:

Reply 29

aja89

Thirteen is young but it's not crazy young, I was about thirteen when I discovered masturbation, and I think the fact that I didn't actually have sex for another three years after that was mostly down to not meeting somebody I really liked rather than my age.

I think most people would agree that thirteen year olds are not emotionally mature enough to be having sex, but people's bodies certainly mature at different rates and young girls shouldn't be punished with unwanted pregnancy for making a mistake whilst experimenting.

Reply 30

vickie89

yes they should be able to get it. unfortunately people that age do have sex and the safer they can be the better. just because they can get the pill doesnt mean they are all automatically gonna go out and sleep around a lot, but some of them are in relationships at this age and i would rather they have the pill than have a lot of pregnant teens around.

also some girls go on the pill as a way of controlling their periods - some are extremely irregular, very heavy, really painful, etc, and by giving them the pill it helps to control them and calm their cycles down so they are more manageable.

Reply 31

username306617

That is what I looked like at 13.
Thirteen year olds should not be having sex.
By letting them have the pill it sends the message that it is ok, and it's not!

Reply 32

SOZLAD

Original post by prema32

Yeah but don't you think that just puts more pressure on young girls to have sex knowing it's available - they can't really hold on to the fact they are 'too young' as an excuse anymore

This is an illogical argument. It's always been easy to get hold of condoms - particularly if the young person has an older sibling. Therefore the 'I'm too young' (or more likely 'I'm not ready/I don't want to' as saying 'I'm too young' would just get the young person laughed out of the window) argument will apply as much as it ever did. The pill won't change that, it's just another option for those who decide they are ready.

Reply 33

SOZLAD

Original post by Popppppy

That is what I looked like at 13.
Thirteen year olds should not be having sex.
By letting them have the pill it sends the message that it is ok, and it's not!

'I didn't do it, therefore nobody else should. Here I am with a goat. Your argument is invalid'

Grow up.

Reply 34

SOZLAD

Original post by aja89

Well said

Reply 35

TheHansa

Original post by Forget that

Thank you
Having agreed with what i said, i now agree with what you say :biggrin:

I thought you might :biggrin:

It's usually girls who through no fault of their own have had less than happy home environments. So a lot of it is preventable with the right measures.

Reply 36

jinx!

Yes. What a lot of people forget is that the pill is not just a form of contraception! It's also used by many girls and women to control/treat discomfort and illnesses related to their menstrual cycle. It's taken by girls who suffer from conditions such as extreme stomach cramp and severe menstrual migraines, to name two conditions alone! Are we to deny thirteen-year-old's medication to treat these sort of conditions? Certainly not.

In regards to the pill's use of contraception, I believe that is should be offered although condoms are probably a more effective option. Abstinence programmes are totally ineffective and there will always be kids who have sex at an early age. It's our choice whether we offer an alternative to becoming a teenage parent and possibly a burden on the state. The social consequences of teenage pregnancies are too high not to offer contraception!

The key is not to just give thirteen year-old's contraception and just walk away. Sex education is vital for both boys and girls. You could offer contraception (whether it be the pill, condoms or any other method) while also teaching about how to approach sex responsibly.

Reply 37

Clumsy_Chemist

I see it as a choice between underage sex, and underage sex with pregnancy. I'd prefer the former, whether it sends out a bad message or not, what matters is reality and the reality is that sex will happen anyway, it's better that it's safe.

Reply 38

chronic_fatigue

HELL NO! The thought of my sister going on the pill at that age makes me sick. Why the hell are 13 year olds thinking about sex? If people really want to throw contraception at kids why not the condom?The pill isn't going to protect you from an STI. What the hell is wrong with people in this country? Why do parents not talk to their kids about sex? I don't think any of the girls I knew at school who had sex in Year 7 managed to stay childless by the time they reached 15. The sorts of people who have sex at such are young age usually end up getting pregnant anyway.There I said it people!! Bring on the neg!

Reply 39

x-pixie-lottie-x

im pretty sure with how embarrassing it would be to go ask for it its less likely that its really encouraging them...
better if they are going to be sexually active they arent getting pregnant...
x