Plan B

justpoorfect · Aug 25, 2006

Why should anyone be afraid of another form of birth control? It is a high dose of the same hormone found in regular BC pills.

Is there a great difference in how regular BC pills prevent implantation that makes Plan B seem less civilised? or do you (collective you, no one specifically) just demand women drag the same old ball-and-chain of daily doses of hormone so they can reexamine whether or not they are still "nice" girls if they like sex?

Additionally, there are women who choose not to take BC pills for 20-30 years (ever read through all the warning label?!!?) or who mostly abstain.

I am all for having another available option, but would also like to see increased use of condoms heavily promoted along with it.

Princess74 · Aug 25, 2006

It's about time!

HM2VikingRN, RN · Aug 25, 2006

I think it was way overdue. The next battle will be to pass "shall stock and dispense Plan B" laws for all pharmacies.

RNin'08 · Aug 25, 2006

Great thread! :) I love to get everyone's perspective on these topics.

I saw a local news report recently on this topic that made me pretty angry. It was very one sided (against Plan B) and the woman being interviewed kept reffering to it as a means of abortion. I think this is something that needs more unbiased publicity, with facts rather than opinions, the general public needs to be made aware of what this drug is (and isn't) capable of doing. Unfortunately with such a touchy topic that is not likely to happen, people (lots of media in this case) get too wrapped up in personal and political issues.

RNin'08

~my reality check bounced~

AggieQT · Aug 25, 2006

Ok I HATE the idea of abortion being used as a for of birth control. But I do not believe that planB is abortion. In fact the news reports are making it sound like every single female is going to abuse the drug and keep a stockpile of it at their bedside. Problem with that being unless the drug manufactuer decides to be nice the stuff is expensive!!! Most, if not all insurances do not cover the stuff or pts have to pay a co-pay of like 50%. Now that it is labeled OTC, even though it will be controlled from behind the counter, those few insurances that were covering it at a 50% copay will drop it off the formulary list. OTCs for the most part arent covered and the full price of one itsy bity tablet is high. If I remember correctly its around $60-$70 full price, if not more. I just dont see planB being "abused" as much as the media is making it out to be. I believe the cost of it will deter many people from using it as their primary source of birthcontrol. It is a backup, for when people feel their primary source has failed (ex missed BC pill one day or a broken condom) and for the few unfortunate souls that are raped. I think PlanBs status change is a very smart decision.

casi, ASN, RN · Aug 25, 2006

I doubt that women will be at Wal-Mart every weekend to buy planb. With how expensive the medication is and the side effects from it, I doubt any woman would make this her primary form of birth control.

I’m happy it’s over the counter. When an oppsies occur women need to have an option.

PlanB will probably prevent a lot of abortions in the long run.

flashpoint · Aug 25, 2006

I don't think Plan B should be used as a primary means of birth control...and as hard as it may be to believe, threre are women out there who do. We used to have a lady who came to the ER at least a couple of times a year seeking emergency contraception.

I think having Plan B OTC is a good idea...hopefully, it will prevent a lot of unwanted pregnancies. One of the big issues I see with it is availability. I don't really think it should be available just sitting there next to the Tylenol and Advil...it is a good idea to keep it behind the counter. But, I have pretty mixed feelings about having it available only at pharmacies. I live in a small town with one pharmacy...it is privately owned and managed and the owner is a strict Catholic who doesn't believe in birth control in any form...yes, he stocks and dispenses birth control pills, but he refuses to stock condoms. I'm 99% sure he won't stock Plan B OTC...so women in this small town still won't have that option unless they make a 75 mile journey to the south. If it were stocked in places like K-Mart, grocery stores, etc, it would be much more accessible...I doubt that the big chains would refuse another way to make $60.

ortess1971 · Aug 25, 2006

:yeahthat:
This is a no brainer.
But I wonder...what ever happened to just saying NO??? As a (formerly) young male, I can tell you that there's only ONE thing on a guy's mind anyway...and it's not her eyes.
Just my $.02
vamedic4
studying again

This is going to sound bad, but maybe she doesn't want to say no. Women should be able to have sex and enjoy themselves also. Now granted, I'm all for using protection but condoms do break. I'm 35 and while I am not promiscuous by any means, I don't feel I should be made to feel "slutty" for actually enjoying sex...Tell the middle age guy at the pharmacy waiting in line to get his Viagra prescription filled to "just say no" (and incidentally, I bet insurance covers his Viagra to a greater extent than it covers my BCP's) and he'll look at you like you have 3 heads...

RunnerRN, BSN, RN · Aug 25, 2006

This is going to sound bad, but maybe she doesn't want to say no. Women should be able to have sex and enjoy themselves also. Now granted, I'm all for using protection but condoms do break. I'm 35 and while I am not promiscuous by any means, I don't feel I should be made to feel "slutty" for actually enjoying sex...Tell the middle age guy at the pharmacy waiting in line to get his Viagra prescription filled to "just say no" (and incidentally, I bet insurance covers his Viagra to a greater extent than it covers my BCP's) and he'll look at you like you have 3 heads...

Yes women should be able to enjoy themselves, but women should also be responsible enough to know when pregnancy is possible and (if not willing to care for a child) say no/protect themselves. Yes condoms can break, but that's why we have the pill, IUDs, and tons of other BC options. I too know ppl who use Plan B or abortion as their form of birth control, and I hate that. Why can't we say "enjoy sex, but enjoy it responsibly" and leave it at that?

My mom always told me that if I was mature enough to have sex, I was mature enough to talk about birth control. How ridiculous that the argument for unprotected sex is that "women should be able to enjoy themselves." And we aren't even getting into the risks of STDs......

darlanow · Aug 25, 2006

I am all for people (men, women, gay, straight...) enjoying sex AND being responsible. To me, that means using birth and STD control methods, which could include condoms, BC pills, the sponge, IUDs etc. and Plan B. Might some people use these things "irresponsibly"? I guess so - but it's not as irresponsible as using nothing! As a social worker for more than 20 years, I've seen what can happen when people have children when they're not ready. (I know, MANY people who became pregnant unintentionally are great parents. Unfortunately, others aren't - and that fact doesn't make them refrain from sex.)

I say yea for Plan B and am all for mandating that pharmacies carry and distribute it.

(Thank you to the poster above who pointed out our double standard about men enjoying and being encouraged to have sex and women being judged for it. I, too, wonder why it is seen as legitimate to cover a $10 viagra tablet, but not contraceptives. I used to get steamed up every time I had to pay the full price for my BC pills because insurance didn't cover them!)

Darla

Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 25, 2006

I think it's wonderful that women can buy it over the counter. How and why women intend to use it is nobody's business. If a woman wants to be promiscuous she doesn't need plan B to do it. Promiscuity has more to do with personality and a history of abuse than it does with the availability of birth control.

This same argument was waged when treatments became available for syphillis and gonorrhea. The argument was that people shouldn't be treated for them but just be allowed to suffer and die horrible deaths, because if they were cured they would just go out and have sex again.

I will be happy when we can separate biology from morality.

1st edition · Aug 25, 2006

Rape is alive and well in our society, I regret to say. It is also still a "secret" crime, rarely talked about. Only 42% of rapes are reported, according to www.rainn.org's website. Every 2 1/2 minutes a woman is raped and also according to RAINN's stat's every 1 in 6 women have been sexually assaulted. Hooray for Plan B!!!!!!!!!