On the news this morning I heard a story about Joe Aviance, or "Papa Joe" as he's referred to, and how he managed to lose more than half his body weight in 18 months, going from 450 pounds to 200 pounds. That's an incredible feat since losing weight is incredibly difficult. How'd he do it? By getting the majority of his groceries at the 99¢ store, of course! When I first heard that, I was like, "How in the world could anybody not only survive off of food bought at a dollar store, but actually drop weight since what dollar stores sell is basically junk?!" Then I learned that the 99¢ stores in the West are much different than the dollar stores I'm familiar with that sell cheap toys, holiday decorations and gift bags (gift bags; that's what I love the dollar store for!). The 99¢ stores in the West sell actual groceries, including eggs, milk, yogurt and fresh produce. Papa Joe said that he calls shopping at the 99¢ store "shopping HCWB" (healthy choices within a budget). Good for you, Papa Joe!
Also, I love watching the rabbits/bunnies that come to munch on the clover in my front yard and frolic around in the evenings after dinner. Chandra was around tonight, so I had her grab the camera when I saw this adorable baby hanging out right outside my window. He's so tiny (although I think he looks bigger in the pictures than he does in real life). He was just chilllaxing in the grass, acting like he owns joint, which is okay with me since the three of us all have fun watching the bunnies and rabbits (just as long as they stay away from my mom's Cyclamen, now that it's warmer and back out on the front porch!).
Your argument that Plan B shouldn't be available regardless of age is based on brain development. But if a girl's brain isn't fully developed, is she better of having a kid?
ReplyDeleteSara
This IS a valid point, and I hope I didn't come off judgmental or narrow-minded (which I probably did). HOWEVER, I just worry that young girls might take Plan B without weighing all the options and really understanding the repercussions it could have later in life.
DeleteI agree with you that it's better for the teen AND unborn child's well-being if the girl isn't ready to have a child. I know that adoption can be grueling for a teen mother and adopted child, but I wish more people would consider adoption as an alternative to either taking Plan B, terminating a pregnancy or going through the turbulence of raising a child as a teen mom.
Adoption is an alternative to parenthood, not pregnancy. Pregnancy is a HUGE toll on the body and on the mind, and especially so for a child that's barely gone through puberty yet. I'm just going to ask you again, if you can't trust a woman to make a choice with her contraception, how can you trust her with a child? Choosing to give up a child for adoption, after going through 9 months of pregnancy and giving birth is much, much harder on a teenage girl than taking Plan B.
DeleteI think it's a healthy 12-year old who chooses to take Plan B over going through pregnancy!
Sara
I know we would never agree on this issue, so we'll have to "agree to disagree." Thank you for commenting, though. I enjoy hearing what other people think, especially when it's different from my line of thinking. :)
DeleteNo, your teenage daughter's healthcare decisions are NOT your business. When I had my first pap smear and pelvic exam at 15 my doctor legally had to contact ME not my parents. She could not give them the results. She could not leave a voice mail on the home phone, unless it was to say "This is Dr. So and So, please call me back". Was I hiding something from my mom? Nope. I wasn't even sexually active but I still had a right to privacy. Doctors are obligated to care for their patients, NOT the parents of patients.
DeleteTessa
Someone else's healthcare decisions are really none of your business. Plan B only works in a short time frame. If a woman is raped does she have to "prove" the rape before she's given access to Plan B? That can take months, years, and in many cases the rapists are acquitted.
ReplyDeletePlan B has been widely available to women, teens included, in my state for some time now. We have lower teen pregnancy rates than the national average. In regards to Plan B as a backup, that's what it is advertised as. It is NOT advertised as a first line of defense against pregnancy. Again, birth control like the Pill is widely available in my state. We are given comprehensive sex ed which includes how to prevent pregnancy.
And you know what? Anyone's birth control can fail. You could take the Pill faithfully and still get pregnant. You could have an IUD and still get pregnant. You could use a condom and still get pregnant. No form of birth control is 100% effective.
Tessa
I definitely don't think a woman should have to prove that she was raped to be eligible for plan B, I just don't think it should be available to women (especially teenagers) NO QUESTIONS ASKED. I know it's not advertised as the first line of defense, but a young 12 or 13-year-old might see it that way.
DeleteI know anyone's birth control can fail, but I don't think that has anything to do with if Plan B should/shouldn't be available no questions asked to women of any age. Besides, if a woman's birth control fails, it would be too late for her to take Plan B by the time she realizes it. (Unless, I guess, if a condom breaks.)
I know people have different opinions about things like Plan B, abortion and birth control, but this is just my opinion. People are allowed to feel differently and are allowed to express their opinions. I suppose if people want to take Plan B, that's their right, I just don't think it should be readily available to young teenagers without parental consent.
Someone else's healthcare decisions ARE my business if it is my teenage daughter! I think it is ludicrous that I have to given written consent for the school to give my child a Tylenol or a Tums, yet this same child can acquire Plan B without my knowledge or consent. That is my problem with having Plan B easily available.
ReplyDeleteI might not agree that Plan B should be an option for most people, but I guess it should be allowed to be there for the people that feel differently. However, I really think that there should be rules that govern who is allowed to get it without parental consent. I think if a girl younger than 15 is going to get Plan B she should have to have parental consent.
DeleteI agree that it does seem crazy that parental consent is mandatory for a Tylenol or a Tums, but not for Plan B.
I think the issue with parental consent is that if abuse is happening in the home, the abuse could be furthered by reproductively controlling the child.
DeleteSara
Also, any child can buy tylenol over the counter without parental consent. It's only in school you need to give consent. Same with Plan B, I believe.
DeleteSara
Sara, you made a good point about the cycle of abuse being perpetuated if a parent or guardian reproductively controls a child by either denying them access to Plan B, or insisting that today take Plan B, even if that goes against what the girl/woman desires.
DeleteI also see how comparing obtaining parental consent for Tylenol in schools and Plan B at a drugstore/hospital/Planned Parenthood is kind of like comparing apples to oranges. I just find the differences in these situations interesting since they are somewhat similar in regards to that they both deal with what girls are allowed to take with/without parental consent, but different in regards to the settings/circumstances that parental consent needs to be obtained.
Can people stop invoking rape as if it is the only acceptable way for a (unmarried) woman to have sex? I have been raped and it was... the most devastating experience of my life... but that does not put my potential risk of pregnancy on a different level when compared to other people's risk of pregnancy. Women should not be denied access to medicine because they had consensual sex.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you did not mean to do this, but this piece truly came across as saying "Women who have consensual sex should have limited healthcare options, that'll teach 'em for being so loose!!!!" People's access to medical care should not be decided by whether or not they consented. When else does such a ridiculous standard occur? A skier will get treatment if he breaks his leg; it does not matter that it was consensual skiing.
I think girls under 18 should have to have parent's approval. I don't believe in forcing people to to through with unwanted pregnancies, but I don't think a young girl should be making the decision on her own. I think her parents should know that she is sexually active and if they chose to purchase is for her then that's their choice.
ReplyDeleteYou made some really good points, Betty. It would be impossible to make one concrete ruling that would please everyone since everyone has such varying opinions on this issue, depending on their life's experiences, religious beliefs, political views, etc. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteI appreciate Heather’s point on brain development. The maturation of the prefrontal cortex is a process that is not complete until around age 25. (Please see the Department of Health and Human Services' site on this critical part of brain development: http://www.hhs.gov/opa/familylife/tech_assistance/etraining/adolescent_brain/Development/prefrontal_cortex/) The prefrontal cortex is responsible for foreseeing and weighing possible consequences of behavior, the ability to balance short-term rewards with long term goals, and other important thought processes. When this portion of the brain is not well developed, as in the case of adolescents, we must recognize that risk, reward, and consequences, even if described explicitly, will be poorly weighed. We can all agree it would be ideal to provide support to someone who is mentally impaired, especially if that mentally impaired person was going to make decisions. Teenagers are mentally impaired. A readily available, legal, and familiar support person would most often be a teenager’s parent, although certainly there are situations when this would not be the case. Whether the teenager choses to have a child, use Plan B, contraceptives or abort, during the process of making that decision an adult should be involved. Ideally a parent with the best interests of the teenager should be part of that support group and have legal rights to defend those interests. With this in mind, I agree that parental consent should be sought by teenagers looking to buy Plan B.
ReplyDeleteMy support of parental consent does not stem from a belief that Plan B is an abortion pill. It is not. RU-486 is an abortion pill, but let’s talk about Plan B. Plan B will not affect or terminate an existing pregnancy and it only works if taken within 72 hours or earlier. So what’s the harm? I believe the harm comes from mentally impaired impulses and an inability to delay gratification. When a teenager counsels with a support group before taking any birth control, emergency, or other, they are given the opportunity to know the facts, consequences and gravity of their choices. The choice to have sex, the choice to prevent a pregnancy, the potential consequences of making those decisions and the ability to plan for the future can all be made clearer by an adult with a fully developed frontal cortex. I would like to see parents given the legal right to sign consent papers, so they can have the opportunity to counsel their children. Sex has emotional and physical consequences that can be both good and bad, as do pregnancy and child rearing. I would hope that teenagers would not be lulled into the idea that deciding to take Plan B can be easier than ordering a hamburger. I sincerely hope sex isn’t treated so trivially or child-rearing for that matter. Regardless of what side of the political/ philosophical divide you are on, we can generally agree that these are serious decisions. Whatever the decision may be, teenagers should have access to an unimpaired brain. Sadly, an impaired brain cannot be depended on to reach out for such support. Parental consent is a currently available and legally binding way of providing that opportunity. Perhaps time will give us better alternatives.
ReplyDeleteNo opinion is worth its salt without knowing the author’s biases. So, I’ll lay them out. I believe that all life and the genetic material that has the potential to create life are and should be treated as sacred. I believe that rape, incest and other sexual abuse are grievous crimes that rob victims of the peace and joy that should come with intimacy. I believe any victim of these crimes should be allowed the most expedient access to contraceptives, abortive measures, and professional and family support. I believe sex between a committed and loving couple is the ideal. I believe this type of relationship can be paramount to the emotional and physical well-being of an individual. I am a mother, I have experienced a miscarriage, I have a loving and committed relationship and I am friends with women and men who have been victims of sexual assault. I want to support our youth, so that they can experience less of our pain and more of our joy.