Last week, it was announced that the Food and Drug Administration decided to make emergency contraception (Plan-B) available over the counter to anyone who was at least 17 years old. Previously, Plan B was only available to people age 18 or older.

The move has received mixed reviews, but today, I’ll be talking about the reaction from an article titled “Parents need to develop a new 'Plan B' birth-control message” from DelawareOnline.com.

 The worst that can be said about the Food and Drug Administration's decision to  make emergency contraception available to 17-year-olds is that it bypasses critical  input by parents into the reproductive health of minors.

Ummm….how? If parents are already talking to their kids about sex, how does this decision effect that? Are they suggesting that parents don’t give their kids information about sex until they’re 18?

The article goes on to state that the use of Plan B as birth control…

“It is less burdensome to use than other forms -- including condoms, spermicidal  creams and jellies and daily doses of birth-control pills, for example.

Again…how? They speculate that the reason Plan B hasn’t been used more widely as a form of birth control is that it hasn’t been as readily available and costs between $30 and $50. Plan-B was never intended to be used as a couple’s preferred method of birth control. It’s a back-up plan. Hence the name. Duh. Plus, if teens were educated about the various forms of contraceptives and safe sex practices through comprehensive sex education, there’s less chance that they would need an emergency back-up plan.

The article also says this…

 Navigating young people away from this option until they are mature enough to  assume the responsibility it entails just got tougher.

As you can see, there’s a lot in this article that I just don’t understand. How could restricting 17 year olds from the use of Plan B be responsible? If parents would rather have their teens not get pregnant, shouldn’t they encourage the use of Plan B? I don’t mean as birth control- I mean the use of it for it’s purpose- as a backup plan in the case of an accident, such as a condom breaking or forgetting to take a birth control pill.

The one thing I do agree with in the article is this:

 Responsible adults will meet this reality [of teen sexual activity] by beginning a  dialogue with their children about sex before it requires a trip to the drugstore.

Parents should definitely talk to their kids about sex, especially before they become sexually active. Teaching kids about responsible, safe sexual practices is vitally important. If parents prefer their kids to wait to have sex until they’re married, they should express those views, but what should be most important is the health of their children. If they choose to have sex, parents should ensure that they have all the information and access to products and medications that will keep them healthy and without child until they’re ready to start a family.

The knowledge that teenagers are having sex should not be ignored. Not everyone waits until they’re 18 or older. Some people have sex when they’re 17. And instead of running the risk of an unintended pregnancy, why not make Plan B available?

~Samantha