A policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics calls for U.S. doctors to discuss contraception with teens and prescribe "morning after" pills. The position paper, published online in the journal Pediatrics, suggested doctors give underage teenagers prescriptions for emergency contraceptives such as Plan B or levonorgestrel before they have sex, because if needed, emergency contraception is most effective when used within the first 24 hours after unprotected sex, the Chicago Tribune reported. Dr. Cora Breuner, a physician at Seattle Children's Hospital who helped write the policy statement as a member of the pediatrics academy's Committee on Adolescence, said emergency contraceptives such as levonorgestrel, if taken within three to five days, can prevent pregnancy by stopping the ovary from releasing an egg or by stopping sperm from fertilizing an egg. Breuner said teens were more likely to use emergency contraceptives if they were readily available. Currently, young women age 17 or older can buy emergency contraceptives over-the-counter if they show proof of age and pay for the medication, which costs about $50, Breuner said. Younger teens require a prescription, and some pharmacies require parental consent, but there are no federal or state laws they require parents be informed when their children get contraceptives, said the Emergency Contraception website, a joint project of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals and Princeton University's Office of Population Research. U.S. teen pregnancies declined 44 percent since 1991, but it is still the highest in the developed world and five times higher than the teen birthrate in France and 2.5 times higher than the teen birth rate of Canada, U.N. data showed.
GMT 18:35 2018 Thursday ,11 January
Syrian refugee sets himself ablaze at UN office in LebanonGMT 18:48 2018 Tuesday ,09 January
Novo Nordisk woos Belgian nano-drug makerGMT 17:54 2017 Wednesday ,27 December
Medical evacuations begin from besieged Syria rebel bastionGMT 12:14 2017 Monday ,25 December
MoHAP successfully conducts cochlear implant operationGMT 18:24 2017 Sunday ,24 December
Palestinian conjoined twins arrive in RiyadhGMT 19:05 2017 Monday ,18 December
new! magazine names fitness & food editorGMT 17:03 2017 Wednesday ,29 November
Spain reports case of 'mad cow disease'GMT 14:05 2017 Saturday ,11 November
EU can't agree on new licence for controversial glyphosate weedkiller
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor