[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

[Clumsy_Chemist]

(Original post by 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!

If your sister was going to have sex anyway and you really were powerless to stop it, which we'd all naturally want to do, would you want her to have access to contraception or not?

[iJess]

That's another point, if girls are too embarrassed to buy condoms or pregnancy tests, how are they gonna not be embarrassed to get the pill? I think it's better for girls to go to a doctor to get it to be honest

[prema32]

(Original post by SOZLAD)
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.

Haha I agree about the 'I'm too young' point...my bad :P. I still hold the belief that having this option will do more harm than good - as an option which is more applicable to girls (seeing as they are the ones taking this form of contraception whereas condoms can be sourced by either sex) I think it puts even more pressure on them to have sex. And if it has always been easy to get condoms then what is the point of introducing the pill for unwanted pregnancies/safe sex practice?? And frankly for 16 year old's which have both available, there are still numerous unwanted pregnancies, STI problems and lack of safe sex. I think that by introducing the pill at 13 it will just tell these children that it's not only acceptable but expected.

[M4LLY]

No because its only going to make the sti problem worse

[New...Romantic]

(Original post by LaughingBro)
You mean they can get it for free?! It cost like £22!!!

(Original post by leahnic)
It would in no way encourage young girls to have sex, you can get condoms for free at pretty much any age and it doesn't encourage underage sex, it takes a lot of guts and courage to go and get the morning after pill, even of someone of age so why would a 13 year old girl have the courage just because she's allowed to?

To be clear, this is about the contraceptive pill and not the MAP.

I'm really torn on this subject. If it would reduce teenage pregnancy then that's a good thing but as people have said it might encourage teenage sex and increase STIs. Young girls can already be prescribed the pill by their GP so I'm not sure I see the benefits of offering this through a pharmacy. I'd have thought that girls who need it for their skin/to regulate their periods or who are using it for contraception but are mature enough to use it properly would just go to the doctor.

Pharmacies are great for providing quick and accessible services like the MAP and free condoms but the contraceptive pill doesn't always work straight away so it's not the kind of thing girls should be able to wander in to get on a whim.

(Original post by iJess)
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.

The pill should be free unless it's for your skin. My check up at the GP consists of them asking me how I'm getting on with it, taking my blood pressure and asking a few questions about family history and my lifestyle. Pharmacists are health professionals and would be more than capable of doing this.

[Brand New Eyes]

(Original post by LaughingBro)
You mean they can get it for free?! It cost like £22!!!

Both the morning after pill and the actual pill (daily) are free for everyone from a clinic/GP... people just don't bother with the hassle of going there and would rather pay through the counter.

Yes they should, let's face facts. Not having the pill is not going to stop them from doing it, it would probably push them into safer forms of contraception but what's to stop them from disregarding it altogether.

[chronic_fatigue]

(Original post by Clumsy_Chemist)
If your sister was going to have sex anyway and you really were powerless to stop it, which we'd all naturally want to do, would you want her to have access to contraception or not?

Hmm seeing as I don't live with her I would get my other sister to stop her! Seriously, I would rather she went on the pill but, I still see her as a baby so she doesn't need to be having a baby of her own anytime soon. If sex was talked about more between children and their parents we wouldn't be having the problems we have on this scale. If you are going to give young people the pill it should be the very last resort and tbh I would be a bit happier if it was the condom. The pill may stop a girl getting pregnant but she may end up getting or spreading STIs.

[johndoranglasgow]

(Original post by prema32)
"Girls as young as 13 should be able to walk into a high-street chemist and get the contraceptive pill if they want it".

Lets start the debate

At 13 a lot of people are able to make a baby, they're certainly able to carry STDs. I don't think the availability of condoms is going to convince many 13 year olds to have sex, because many of them wouldn't even consider that option in the first place.

If the kid is mature and sensible enough to walk in and ask for them, good for him/her. Give them the condoms - a lot of them will probably wind-up being water balloons anyway

[AlmostChicGeek]

Personally I think parents need to be told about it. There can be complications hormonally if you take it for an extended period of time, and I personally suffered quite bad side effects, that I didn't know was caused by the pill till I mentioned the symptoms to my mum - I just thought I was unwell, I knew of the side effects, read the leaflet but just didn't think. I think your parents need to know about things like that, so they can watch out for you at such a young age.

[buchanan700]

It's not about what they should be doing. Its about, unfortunately, what they are doing. Its disgraceful and everything, but a sexed up 13 year old is better than a pregnant 13 year old.
Its not as though teen pregnancies/ teens having sex is a new thing.

[Cheese_Monster]

Though I rarely ever agree with Nigel Farage, he put forward on Question time last night that if the government advocates giving 13 year old girls the contraceptive pill then it is subsequently advocating breaking the law, that is the age of consent being at 16.

[L.O.V.E]

I think if it will prevent a poor innocent baby being born to someone who is still a child themselves and can't properly look after them then they should be given the pill. Although the type of 13 year olds who have sex probably aren't bothered about getting pregnant anyway.

[Darkphilosopher]

I think they should only be able to get it through a GP. And even then, the GP should refer them to a Councillor and inform their parents.

[KJane]

Yes they should be able to get the pill, a lot of girls will probably be going through puberty at that age, and the contraceptive pill is a way to regulate them for those having problems with irregular periods. They're not needed just for sex.

As for encouraging sex, I think the media does enough of that on it's own, the contraceptive pill encourages safety. Would you rather deny it and end up with a bunch of pregnant 13 year olds? If a 13 year old is already at the point where they're considering sex, it's probably not because they know they can get the pill, but probably down to peer pressure or when they begin having relationships.

[alexmagpie]

People have been having sex young for decades. You just didn't hear about it as much because pregancies were hushed up, rather than the story being sold to the daily mail. And if they are having sex, no amount of tsking from the government and the media is going to stop them. I'm all for better and earlier sex education, but if 13 year olds are needing contraception, then they need access to it.

[alexmagpie]

(Original post by Darkphilosopher)
I think they should only be able to get it through a GP. And even then, the GP should refer them to a Councillor and inform their parents.

But they'll know their parents will be told (and before you say 'don't tell them'), that'll work for a whole five minutes until they hear that so-and-so's parents were told. And if they know their parents will be told, they won't go. Chances are they'll still have sex though, if they want to.

[hannaaahlima]

Yes. If they really want to have sex, they will have sex with or without the pill. Not enabling them to get the pill will only increase the chances of them getting pregnant. The fact that they are not taking the pill is not gonna stop them from having sex.

[de_monies]

(Original post by LaughingBro)
You mean they can get it for free?! It cost like £22!!!

I think it's due to the NHS/Gov't realising that the long term cost of kids having kids is going to be greater than if a typical adult decided they want to have kids

If a 13 year old has kids, it's likely that their education will suffer, they won't be able to contribute to society, they'll live on benefits etc...

If a pill is given for free, it takes away all that risk. They should be using condoms,to prevent STI's and pregnancy but if they're not, they could at least prevent pregnancy

I don't think it's a case of that they shouldn't be getting it for free, but a case of the government can't afford not to give it away for free

[Emielle]

If anyone (read: males) can buy condoms regardless of age, why is the pill any different? It's contraception. If people want to have sex, they will. Telling them they can't have a certain kind of contraception is unlikely to discourage them and will just reduce the control a woman has over whether or not she gets pregnant. It's one of the few things a girl can do to prevent pregnancy on her own. Condoms aren't as reliable, and you have to get your partner to agree to use one to start with.

People seem keen on stopping girls from having sex if they want to, but don't mind at all if boys do for whatever reason. See America for all the abortion nonsense. It does confuse me that they do this and them complain about teenage pregnancy.