Contraception and Social Responsibility
The debates concerning reactive contraception and the morning after pill have been ongoing for an entire generation, especially as teenage pregnancy rates have risen in the contemporary world. While access has always been restricted and conditional for individuals under the age of 17, bodies have recently commenced a renewed push to change this legislation, in order to ensure that the medication can sold without age restrictions.
This is the latest in a long line of attempts to make the drug available without any conditional legislation, and has support from various affiliated medical and female orientated groups. While they continue to argue that this will reduce the rate of pregnancy amongst young teenagers and negate the risk for the emotionally challenging concept of abortion, there are opposing voices that state concern for personal responsibility and sexual promiscuity.
A Simple Resolution to a Complex Issue?
While the free and unrestricted access to emergency contraception may well reduce the rates of unplanned teenage pregnancy, it also sets a dangerous precedent for encouraging sexual activity without consequence. As a problem resolution, it is rather ill considered and short sighted, for although it is designed to achieve a particular aspiration it does so without tackling the inherent causes that trigger the issue in the first instance.
