Isle of Wight launches Teen Pill Scheme

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

Wow. You don't know what you're talking about.

1. You associate having sex with smoking?? Seriously? Would you like to throw drug abuse in there also?

2. The pill provides NO form of protection against STI's. None. So there is no case of it working or not re: STI's. Its for birth control and menstrual and hormonal regulation.

Sure there are side effects. But whats the worse side effect - a potential blood clot, or a pregnant 13 year old? (I'd like to add that pretty much EVERY OTC drug you buy has potentially worse side effects - and I'm yet to know a woman who has suffered from blood clots or depression as a result of taking the contraceptive pill, so I'd imagine the risk is fairly low considering the amount of females that currently take it).

The lesser of two evils must be taken into account here, and they're giving these teenagers the opportunity to be at least a bit responsible regarding an act they're going to participate in anyway.

After all, I can't imagine seeing teenage virgins signing up for it - it will be the already sexually active ones.

I have been on 4 different types of pill. I know my ****.

If you are having sex at 13, you are within a peer group that is probably smoking also, because it is most likely within a lower socio-economic class. If you smoke, you are not allowed on the pill, because it greatly increases your chances of getting DVT. I'm not just plucking this out of thin air. Now, if you are 13, and you smoke and have sex, but you don't want to get pregnant, are you going to quit smoking/tell your doctor? No you're not, because you're a stupid 13 year old.

I'm fully aware the pill provides no protection against STIs, hence the word 'misconceptions'. A lot of people think that it will prevent STIs, but it doesn't. They also think it keeps working in the 7 day break, it doesn't. These kinds of things might be hard to properly understand when you are 13 and have been having your period for probably about 2-3 years TOPS.

I cannot give you catch all statistics for the pill in regards to depression because each pill is different, however it is well known for it to be possible to worsen pre-existing depression. It says it in the little book they give you. It is under common side effects (1/100 or more). Have a booklet to read!
http://www.medicines.ie/medicine/7957/PIL/Microlite/
This is the one for microlite, a very commonly used low dose pill for young women. I was on this one, it made me miserable.

prinz wrote: »

Seriously, it's obvious you haven't got a grasp on how seriousn the pill can actually be.

What an absolutely diabolical assumption you make.

Its the pill, its been around for 50 years, the side effects are well known and documented.

Its not like they're administering methadone willy nilly or anti d's.

prinz wrote: »

This isn't about actively seeking it, it's about being distributed along with the MAP as a bonus.

Don't be so ridiculous. They cannot force anyone to take a prescription drug.

Just because they go looking for the morning after pill does not mean they're going to start taking contraception. It will only be the ones who WANT to, that will take it.

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

What an absolutely diabolical assumption you make..

Well I'd have to question the understanding of anyone describing the pill as a forward thinking wonderful solution. Especially for kids as young as 13.

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

Just because they go looking for the morning after pill does not mean they're going to start taking contraception. It will only be the ones who WANT to, that will take it.

Exactly.However who is going to regulate it? Are they going to be properly informed? Will it be properly followed instruction wise? Are 13 year olds capable of making this kind of medical decision alone? Why stop at the Pill and why not let doctors prescribe other medication for 13 year olds without parental knowledge or consent. Who deals with the fall-out if one of these girls dies from complications of the pill?

Does no-one understand the meaning of misconception? People thinking the pill works on the 7 day break has come up more than once on the PI forum.

And you know what? If you are having sex at 13, it is more likely you are from a lower socio economic class. If you are from a lower socio economic class, it is also more likely you started smoking earlier.

bluewolf wrote: »

It's the "it doesn't work in the 7 day break" I'm concerned about here. Maybe it depends on a type I don't take, but...

Depends on the type of pill.

biko wrote: »

I'm all for it. Young girls should have the option not to get pregnant and god knows young boys are too stupid to protect themselves.

Young girls are too stupid also.:D

prinz wrote: »

Well I'd have to question the understanding of anyone describing the pill as a forward thinking wonderful solution. Especially for kids as young as 13.

It will work better than 'education' which has already failed miserably.

prinz wrote: »

Exactly.However who is going to regulate it? Are they going to be properly informed? Will it be properly followed instruction wise? Are 13 year olds capable of making this kind of medical decision alone? Why stop at the Pill and why not let doctors prescribe other medication for 13 year olds without parental knowledge or consent. Who deals with the fall-out if one of these girls dies from complications of the pill?

We can only speculate that the administrators of the scheme will be providing the necessary education with regard to the pill, and giving the girls a quick health check (i.e blood pressure etc) before hand.

There are very few details of the actual scheme in the article, so to assume otherwise would be speculation (and I can't see the NHS allowing prescription drugs to be given without the proper consultation beforehand).

Also - exactly when has there been a case of anyone dying as a result of taking the contraceptive pill?

I would like you to read this article
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100311191810.htm

and

http://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.c927.full (on the same study)

Also

http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/2002/04/13/story26673.asp

About 99.95% of women treated with the combined oral contraceptives for one year do not experience any serious adverse reaction, an IMB survey showed.

Dublin GP Dr Jim Keely said in 10 years of prescribing the Pill, he had not treated a patient any side effects caused directly by oral contraception.

Do you instantly believe any media/conspiracy/spin with regard to the negative effects of something you don't agree with? Or are you trying to blow the extremely rare cases of bad side effects WAY out of proportion?

MrStuffins wrote: »

Complete scaremongering!

Of course it is. Something like 40 odd % of women on the pill suffer side effects. But sure what of it..

crayolastereo wrote: »

Does no-one understand the meaning of misconception? People thinking the pill works on the 7 day break has come up more than once on the PI forum.

And you know what? If you are having sex at 13, it is more likely you are from a lower socio economic class. If you are from a lower socio economic class, it is also more likely you started smoking earlier.

Ah right, such as the lower classes of girls who would go to say, the Wesley or something similar?

Sorry, but I don't care how many types of pill you've been on in the entire 17 years of your existence, you cannot disprove medical evidence.

And yes, you CAN smoke while on the pill. Bloody hell. Whoever told you that you can't? 3 of my ex's smoked and were on the pill. Worked well for them I tell ya.

MrStuffins wrote: »

No, but there's a difference here, i never said anything of the sort.

You say things like "I'd say they're smoking too". Ridiculous!

You said that just because 1 person thought it, that means its unlikely many people think this, and therefore that most people don't think this. What I said was that if you are taking it at 13 (and the first packet as far as I can tell you don't even have to go to a doctor) its actually fairly likely that you don't know how it works.

I have already explained why it is more likely that they smoke. Class might not be very PC, but it exists and it has its effects. Again, I repeatedly used the word 'likely'. We are working in probabilities here.

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

And yes, you CAN smoke while on the pill. Bloody hell. Whoever told you that you can't? 3 of my ex's smoked and were on the pill. Worked well for them I tell ya.

However, there is a clear association between cigarette smoking and increased risk of side effects while on the pill.

http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=1400

prinz wrote: »

Of course it is. Something like 40 odd % of women on the pill suffer side effects. But sure what of it..

Did you even read my last post, where I posted (and quoted) an article wherein the IMB stated 99.95% of women on the pill for at least 1 year never suffered any serious adverse reaction??

I guess you missed that bit because it doesn't back up your point.

Oh, and I didn't pull that figure from my backside, its in black and white.
A figure given by the Irish Medical Board.
A far more reliable source of medical and scientific information than your imagination I might add...


However, there is a clear association between cigarette smoking and increased risk of side effects while on the pill.

There is also a clear association with getting knocked down while being on a road etc.

An increased risk of an incredibly unlikely side effect does not make that side effect more likely.

Listen, I've spoken to everyone fairly civilly in this thread. I haven't called anyone an idiot, yet because I'm saying something different from the majority of the thread, I have everyone jumping down my throat vs putting forward a few arguments. My main argument is that the pill is dangerous and a 13 year old is not to be trusted with it.

Here is a paper on socio-economic class and early chilbearing/sexual activity
http://www.alanguttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3325101.html

Early sexual activity has little association with income, but young women who have little education are more likely to initiate intercourse during adolescence than those who are better educated.

Here is a paper stating that people in a disadvantaged class are more likely to smoke younger than their advantaged peers
http://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au/chapter-9-disadvantage/9-1-socioeconomic-position-and-disparities-in-tob0a

younger students in the most advantaged areas of Australia were about 35% less likely to report having smoked some time in the last month than students in the least advantaged areas.

Then we have this magic thing called a Venn Diagram, which says there is a crossover in these two areas. Now that we have that cleared up, how about moving on to the variety of other ailments that can be caused or exacerbated by taking the pill.

So MrStuffins, would you like to tell the class why it is safe to provide young girls with serious medicine, with no doctor consultation or their parents knowledge?