It has been proposed in an NHS report that young girls are offered the contraceptive pill when they are as young as thirteen years of age and without seeing a doctor. It is without a doubt that something needs to be done in order to decrease the number of women requiring emergency contraception and abortions but is this the way? A pilot study carried out with the intention of targeting black women of British, African and Caribbean backgrounds who were between the ages of 20 and 24 and who had never used the contraceptive pill before appeared to have an impact. But does this make the case for making the contraceptive pill readily available to young girls who have barely had an education in sexual health?
The study was far too small to predict with any certainty that the rates of pregnancy and abortion among young people would decrease with the implementation of this sort of action. Furthermore, with the NHS advocating such independence for girls so young, they are also in a way saying it is ok or expected that unprotected sex will occur and as long as we are sending this message to young people, STI rates will continue to climb.mWe believe that condom use should be advocated before putting teenage girls on the pill. However you look at this, it must come back to education. People need to know what they are doing and the potential consequences of unprotected sex.