| London Hands Out the Pill to Teens without Prescription Women in London soon will be able to get birth-control pills without a prescription in an effort to reduce the number of teen pregnancies, The Telegraph reported. Starting next month, women as young as 16 can obtain the pill in the two areas of London that report some of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country: Southwark and Lambeth. Officials say the initiative then may be implemented throughout England. Carrie Gordon Earll, senior bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said there are good reasons a physician's visit typically is required before a woman goes on the pill. "An accurate medical history and physical are important to assess her level of risk in taking this drug," she said. "To bypass this protective measure — especially with teenage girls who may not be aware of their medical risks — is unwise and may be harmful." Earll also warned that birth-control pills do nothing to stop sexually transmitted infections, which have reached epidemic levels around the world. Source: CitizenLink Source URL: http://www.citizenlink.org Publish Date: December 11, 2008 Link to this article: |
December 12, 2008
London Hands Out the Pill to Teens
