Contraception

The UK National Health Service is putting forward the idea that young women or teenagers, as young as thirteen years of age, should be allowed to obtain the contraceptive pill from trained pharmacists without recourse to a consultation with a doctor. Whilst the numbers of teenagers below the age of thirteen who might want to use this service is probably very small some important ethical issues are raised.

Some aspects of birth control involve medical prescriptions and procedures such as monthly contraceptive pills, the "morning after pill" and abortion. These medical interventions are for the most part being made on people who are not physically ill. Pregnancy, without physical complications, is not an illness. Most women who become pregnant are healthy individuals. I am of the opinion that we should be more careful when we give medical treatment to people who are not physically sick.

There is a legal age of consent which is sixteen. Surely, parents have some rights in this matter and would want to know if their daughters are engaging in under age sex and why.

There is the risk of sexually transmitted disease if anyone indulges in unprotected sex especially if one or both of the partners is promiscuous.

The very young women who are are indulging in under age sex may not be the best organised and might still get pregnant in spite of contraceptive pill usage. We need to see strong evidence that these proposals will in fact reduce unwanted teenage pregnancies.

What safeguards are in place to prevent "braver" young women visiting pharmacists to obtain contraceptive pills for their more timid friends? There is the possibility that young women could obtain this form of medication without any adult knowing.

It is my view that the handing out "off the shelf" solutions does not tackle the problems of unwanted pregnancies or other sexually related problems. Before any form of medication is dispensed to people who are physically in good health then there should at least be a consultation with a medical doctor who can discuss all of the physical and mental implications with the "patient". Where young people who are under the age of sixteen are involved every effort should be made to get the parents involved too.

We also need to do more to educate young people about the consequences of under-age sex and what to do if they are determined to indulge. Young men should also be encouraged to take their sexual activities seriously and use condoms when they have sex: not just to protect themselves but their partners as well.

I am not opposed to contraception or abortion but I think that we should exercise exceptional care especially where young women below the age of sixteen are concerned.

Just reaching out for a strip of pills to try to solve a complex problem is not acceptable for me. In my view our young people deserve something better.