Emily Lumpkin

Mr. Thompson
English 1301.27
October 14th, 2016
Prescriptions Protect Everyone
Your physical health should be one of the most important priorities any young adult
should worry about. Watching what goes into our bodies and knowing the repercussions is
necessary, from the food eaten to the medication swallowed. Birth control is one of the most
common medications for women. There are many forms of birth control, some labeled more safe
than others yet each come with various risks. For many women, finding the right form of birth
control is a trial and error process since these drugs effect everyone differently. When taking any
sort of drug consulting with your doctor is a must. Birth control should only be available by
prescription due to health risk, manufacture liability and due to the lack of sexual education
amongst teens.
Birth control, once found the correct one for you, is effective and can be helpful, but
without the help from your doctor it can be dangerous. The side effects from birth controls range
from irregular periods and mild cramping to an increase in chances of blood clots and various
cancers. Studies show that while women are taking birth control pills (and shortly after), they
have a 20 to 30 percent higher risk of breast cancer than women who have never used the pill
[39,40]. (Susan G Koman). If birth control was readily available to anyone, then correcting
side-effects or detecting issues would not be as easy. Although long term effects are not the only
health concern. Women with pre-existing medical conditions have to be cautious about the
effects of hormones, such as genetic disorders. I know this from personal experience, my doctor

explained to me that the risk of blood clots is 50% higher than someone who doesnt have
Noonan syndrome. Although without a consultation from my physician I wouldnt have known
my risks were greater than the benefits of birth control.
hypothetically speaking, if a woman was to take birth control without a doctors note,
then whatever sickness she gets cannot be traced back to the company therefor cannot be sued.
Manufacturers and companies that produce medications such as birth control are aware of the
side effects, but for regular women taking birth control, they may not know any of the
complications of the pill. Birth control should only be available by prescription. This allows the
doctor to thoroughly go over the risks and the benefits with a patient that is interested in taking
birth control. This process also helps insure the manufacturer can be legally responsible for
harmful damage caused by the pill.

Prevalence estimates suggest that young people aged 15-24 years acquire half of all
new STDs[15] and that 1 in 4 sexually active adolescent females has an STD.[16](Grossu and
Sprigg). This shows how misinformed our teens are about sex and about birth control. Most
teens think the pill is the key to safe sex when in reality they arent protecting themselves
entirely as birth control doesnt prevent STDs. Studies support that if birth control was readily
available that an increase in an already high rate of sexually transmitted diseases would occur,
according to Dr. Donna Harrison. Is this what we want for our youth?

Instead of lying down and making birth control readily available we should be
promoting abstinence amongst teenagers. Informing them that staying away from sexual activity

is the only way to 100% protect themselves from pregnancy and STDs. Now while you might
think by using both a condom and taking birth control covers all the bases, there are still flaws.
STDs that are spread by skin-to-skin contact can still be spread when a condom is used during
sex(Brocail). This information would be passed along by a doctor informing a teen about sex
and birth control. If teens had access to birth control without a prescription, then the teen would
be more likely to contact an STD. In conclusion birth control should only be available by
prescription to prevent health risk, legally hold manufacturers accountable and to protect our
youth.

Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Breast cancer and hormonal
contraceptives: collaborative reanalysis of individual data on 53,297 women with breast cancer
and 100,239 women without breast cancer from 54 epidemiological studies. Collaborative Group
on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Lancet. 347:1713-27, 1996.

Gierisch JM, Coeytaux RR, Urrutia RP, et al. Oral contraceptive use and risk of breast, cervical,
colorectal, and endometrial cancers: a systematic review. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev.
22(11):1931-43, 2013.

Birth Control Pill Use." Home. Susan G Komen, Apr. 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

Rosenthal, Elisabeth. "Is It Time for Off-the-Shelf Birth-Control Pills?" The New York Times.
The New York Times, 20 Apr. 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

Arina Grossu and Peter, and Peter Sprigg. "Sexual Risk-Avoidance Education." FRC. Center for
Human Dignity, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

Mckenzie Brocail. "STDs You Can Get While Wearing a Condom." STD Exposed Sexual Health
Blog. N.p., 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.