The Plan B: A Revolution in Contraceptives

As contraceptives and birth control have become increasingly popular in the past decades, new innovative ways are being formulated to have the fun, but not pay the price. The morning-after pill, aka Plan B, is an over-the-counter contraceptive that is taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. To be put simply, it is the easy way out catered for the typical, irresponsible teen (or any woman for that matter).

Religious sects believe it is a prelude to abortion, as it prevents fertilization and the implantation of the sperm in the egg. If it were a contraceptive such as The Pill or condoms, then it would be morally right since it is being used in anticipation of a possible pregnancy, not after the possibility pops up. But, women across America are taking advantage of technology and its accessibility. We are creating an image saying "It's okay to have unprotected sex because you can take care of it in the morning." It is leading our society into a downward spiral of laziness and irresponsibility. A nation needs morals to live by, and letting the morning-after pill be attainable walking into Walgreens at 8am is not where we should start.

The morning-after pill should not be banned, but should be controlled. A doctor's prescription should be mandatory since it would show decency that one takes the time to make an appointment and confront the doctor with their situation. Plan B promotes promiscuousness in young girls since it gives them an escape route after having unprotected sex. It is basically telling them "Do it, we have your back." This brings negativity upon our country and goes against all the anti-teenage pregnancy speeches and rallies every year. There are exceptions to every rule, and in this one, a rape. If this were to occur, the victim should immediately go to the nearest hospital and be checked, and for precautions, be given Plan B by a medic. Also, if a condom breaks in the process, one should be able to take the morning-after pill to rid themselves of any doubts. This should also be accounted for in a responsible doctor's hands.

Making the morning-after pill prescription-only would raise the awareness about unprotected sex in America. Virtually forcing the women to visit the doctor's next day, they would have to listen to the harangue about the risks and possibilities of unprotected sex. Not only can one get pregnant, but also contracts diseases such as gonorrhea, genital herpes, and even the lethal AIDS virus. If it happens to the person directly and they live it, they will become scared and actually respect protected sex. But if one has not been in that situation, they will probably never comprehend the severity of unprotected sex and will continue to do it. Cornering guilty patients will greatly reduce unwanted pregnancies and lower the statistics on the amount of diseases that are spread yearly.

The morning-after pill in itself should be a lesson; something golden and respected that should truly be only used in emergencies such as rape. Distributing it freely acknowledges and accepts casual, unprotected sex and makes teenagers more irresponsible than they already are. It opens up a door for them, like a cushion to fall back on, which means they will most likely do it again. Eliminating Plan B as over-the-counter will teach women a moral lesson that they should have learned when they were growing up, but might have missed. Some things people must learn the hard way.