I recently saw a commercial for the Plan B pill (like RU486). The slogan is, “Because the unexpected happens.” UN-EX-PEC-TED?!?!?!
So let me get this straight. You did the dirty deed with your man. Then the next day you went, “Oh, crap, I could have gotten pregnant. Why didn’t I think of that last night when I was in utter ecstasy, especially since I don’t have a clue as to when I am fertile? I’d better get my stupid doctor (who hands out prescriptions for anything and everything like they’re tissues) to call in a Plan B for me at the pharmacy! That way, I can get rid of a ‘maybe’ pregnancy and ease my conscience by not having to decide whether I want to raise a baby with my one-night-stand or grab an abortion.” (*this post does NOT apply to rape, by the way)
Look, if you don’t except to get pregnant from having sex, you have some big problems, girlfriend. Grab yourself a copy of Ms. Magazine and a copy of the book The Feminine Mystique and get to learnin’, sister. Our foremothers didn’t fight for the right to vote for us so we could be so clueless about our own bodies.
Yes, I know I’ve written about this before. And before you go labeling me as some right-wing conservative Catholic who doesn’t know what she’s talking about, let me just tell you that I DO know what I’m talking about and we’ll leave it at that for now because I don’t feel like sharing.
But kids are having sex so young. I knew KIND OF how my menstrual cycle worked when I was a teen but didn’t understand my FERTILITY (big difference) until I was about 27 ... no joke. That tidbit would’ve saved me some serious problems.
Parents, I’m begging you … find out for yourself and then let your daughters (age 10 or age 20) in on how their fertility works for those times when a guy tells her she can’t get pregnant the first time or he forgot the condoms or she’s missed her birth control pills for a few days.
Do you want her stumbling into Advice and Aid Crisis Pregnancy Center with her “unexpected” pregnancy and trying to figure out what to do and picking out maternity clothes donated by ME?! Do you want her attending post-abortive counseling for years? Taking anti-depressants because she made a huge mistake?
When I used to take the pill, someone told me that if I wanted a kid sixth months from now, that was the time to get off the pill because it takes awhile. 2 weeks later I was pregnant with my first. Ha ha. The ball went rolling for years after that. Now I'm having number six. :)
ReplyDeleteSo you believe in abstinence?
ReplyDeleteEverybody I knew who used plan B were in committed relationships and condoms broke or similar b/c failures occured.
Unexpected birth control failure...I use b/c regularly and if it failed suddenly it would be unexpected because it hasn't ever before.
Things can be unexpected if they are rare.
That said I am not sure if I would put this pill in my body..but I'm a financially stable, partnered person who could raise a child.
Aint judgin' the rest.
I'm pro life for me, pro let the rest of the world make up its own mind for everybody else.
Just sayin'
Breeze
I always love the way you put your feelings into words. It cracks me up but also makes so much sense! I totally agree. It should not be a shock that a person ends up pregnant after having sex!
ReplyDeleteIt's not just the young girls though. When I worked in a pregnancy center I thought I would see lots of teens coming in for the free pregnancy tests. Nope, they were mostly closer to 30 and none of them used anything for protection!! I was like, WOW! We need some serious fertility training and it would help starting to teach them young! Yes, ladies, if you open your legs, you might get pregnant!!
And yes, no birth control is 100% guarantee which might be a good thing to point out BEFORE you encourage a young person to use it!
look, ladies, i'm just trying to SAVE women so much heartache that i have personally been through. i believe in PERIODIC abstinence for myself ... meaning my cycles are regular for now so BOTH my husband and i know what's going on with my fertility and make INFORMED decisions versus acting like rabbits who simply handle the consequences LATER. i talk a good game, but of course i'm supportive toward those who have those "accidents" ... with my hugs, my money, my maternity clothes and used baby crap. i'm not a TOTAL shrew.
ReplyDeleteI've seen it time and time again..people generally learn from their own life decisions and mistakes. They can be inspired and motivated by people they admire but beyond that, ya don't know until ya know...
ReplyDeleteIn other words we can support people and we should, but they ultimately can only save themselves.
Breeze
First off I gotta say Breeze? You are the third most rockin' woman on the planet (Of course my girl and Kerrie are numbers #1 and #2 respectively). My ex-wife was on the pill and took it without fail only later to find out her system had an immunity to it for some reason. So yes her first child was unexpected... Actually first two were like that because doctors put her on new pills and the same thing happened. I agree with you Breeze to a point...
ReplyDeleteHowever, part of the problem here is what our children are taught. The 70s was an era of self gratification and sex became a leisure activity and not an act of procreation. People need to spend more time around the barnyard. Do you see bulls running around in double knot polyester saying "How you doin'?" to the cows? NO! In the animal kingdom, it is strictly procreation for the sake of the species, not because the bull saw a sexy heifer and wanted to get his rocks off.
Now back to my point. All of us here are responsible parents. We are careful about what our kids watch and are involved in their development very actively. That said, we are about 5% of the parenting populous. In this age of nannies and au peres, children aren't being raised by mommy and daddy and are being educated by their friends or in the worst case, the au pere chetaing with daddy. The rest are left with a cable remote and a creen and god knows what those little unsupervised eyes see.
True story: When I worked with Kerrie, I had two roommates and we shared a huge old house on Rockhill Road. I was keeping my 10 year old nephew one weekend. I'm sitting at my desk on the phone and I feel a tap on the shoulder, it's my roommate Liz, in a towel ticked off because my "darling" nephew was just caught peeking at her through the bathroom keyhole. When I confronted him with what and asked why, the reply was a media bolt from heaven...
"I saw it in the movie '48 Hours'. It isn't wrong is it?"
No, I do not blame the media because they entertain a very wide spectrum of people. I blame parents who ignore the power the media has over young minds.
And I wish blogger had a spell check for when I go on a rant.
ReplyDeletebtw, no prescription is required for Plan B. Just have to show i.d. proving you're at least 18 years old. So no doctor involved.
ReplyDeleteMy mother didn't provide sex education or information on fertility because she thought it would be giving me permission to have sex as a teenager. Totally stupid. Even stupider was the Christian school I went to that also failed to provide any sex education other than "wait until you're married." I lived in a bubble.
ReplyDeleteEven though I support women in their right to make decisions about their own bodies, I think utilizing Plan B and abortions for those "oops" experiences is irresponsible. I agree, parents and women of reproductive age: Get with it! Educate yourselves and those under your care.