The American Academy of Pediatrics is calling on all its members to prescribe the ‘morning-after’ pill to teenagers before they need it. A statement released November 26 claims, “Emergency contraception is an important backup method for all teenagers. Advanced provision increases the likelihood that teenagers will use emergency contraception when needed, reduces the time to use and does not decrease condom or other contraceptive use.”
These emergency contraceptions include medicines like Plan B and Next Choice. The AAP is urging pediatricians to let teens, male and female, know about emergency contraceptions and how they work. They believe it helps teens make better choices about safe sex and can reduce the number of teen pregnancies. The AAP has released previous statements encouraging pediatricians to talk with all their teenage patients about birth control.
Do you think teens should be given emergency contraceptives before they need them? If so, should doctors make sure teens are also using other forms of contraception like condoms, birth control pills, etc.?
