Federal Health Department approves free birth control for women

[LordKOTL]

I think we can all agree that the proposoal for free BC pills won't work on the termnially welfare'ed.



I think this proposal only has a chance of working for the young teenage mother set--where BC is harder to come by.



The unfortunate fact is that kids hit their libido about 6-8 years before they hit the age of majority, and americans are too squeamish to deal with comprehensive K-12 sex ed classes that are much needed (try getting Pez, Fuffle, TSD, and all potential fathers on this board to picture their sweet daughters at age 5 and then realize in 10-13 years they will be bouncing and gagging on some dude's humongous schlong and begging for more). When you also consider social and peer pressure, it means that a simple "just say no" doesn't work, and woefully undereducated kids turn into woefully uneducated adults--especially in matters of sex.



And circling around, the only way free BC works in this is if kids are properly informed prior to and during the period they'd need access to BC. In other words, it's not flawed in being short-sighted, it's flawed in being long-sided and without enough preparation.



And the caveat is that there is no male equivalent. Condoms still have to be bought and there is a lot of misinformation about them as well because again, parents are too squamish to teach the kids right, and they handcuff the schools on the depth and breadth of sex ed needed because they're just as prudish on the topic as the Taliban.



And lastly, where the idea is good--in theory, is that sex is not always consentual, and when it's not, there's no guarentee other contraceptive forms will be used. A young teenage girl, raped, and having to raise a kid on wellfare again costs much more than free BC for the time needed to raise said kid.



Since we know that taxes will never decrease and bureaucracies never get smaller, getting america "off the government tit" is not going to happen (the day that happens is the day american citizens prevent terrorism and hijacking on commercial airline flights by bringing their own firearms onto the plane and are prepared to shoot to kill).



I'd much rather pay a slightly higher premium on my insurance (which needs more reform as well) than pay even higher taxes.

 

[TSD]

I think we can all agree that the proposoal for free BC pills won't work on the termnially welfare'ed.



I think this proposal only has a chance of working for the young teenage mother set--where BC is harder to come by.



The unfortunate fact is that kids hit their libido about 6-8 years before they hit the age of majority, and americans are too squeamish to deal with comprehensive K-12 sex ed classes that are much needed (try getting Pez, Fuffle, TSD, and all potential fathers on this board to picture their sweet daughters at age 5 and then realize in 10-13 years they will be bouncing and gagging on some dude's humongous schlong and begging for more). When you also consider social and peer pressure, it means that a simple "just say no" doesn't work, and woefully undereducated kids turn into woefully uneducated adults--especially in matters of sex.



And circling around, the only way free BC works in this is if kids are properly informed prior to and during the period they'd need access to BC. In other words, it's not flawed in being short-sighted, it's flawed in being long-sided and without enough preparation.



And the caveat is that there is no male equivalent. Condoms still have to be bought and there is a lot of misinformation about them as well because again, parents are too squamish to teach the kids right, and they handcuff the schools on the depth and breadth of sex ed needed because they're just as prudish on the topic as the Taliban.



And lastly, where the idea is good--in theory, is that sex is not always consentual, and when it's not, there's no guarentee other contraceptive forms will be used. A young teenage girl, raped, and having to raise a kid on wellfare again costs much more than free BC for the time needed to raise said kid.



Since we know that taxes will never decrease and bureaucracies never get smaller, getting america "off the government tit" is not going to happen (the day that happens is the day american citizens prevent terrorism and hijacking on commercial airline flights by bringing their own firearms onto the plane and are prepared to shoot to kill).



I'd much rather pay a slightly higher premium on my insurance (which needs more reform as well) than pay even higher taxes.

I completely agree with your whole post. This will not work on the cycle welfare recipients. It could work for preventing highschool/college age mothers in "average" households though. Again, thats a multi-faceted issue though, Parents have to be willing to provide this service to their children. Parents need to understand, no matter how good a parent you are sometimes your kids simply don't listen and in regard to sex, is most of the time and when all they hear from you is "don't do it" not possessing any sex contraband is a means to hide their activity. If mom or dad stumbles upon a case of birth control pills, or a box of condoms, they know what you've been up to. and in their idiotic youth, think they can rely on the old "pullin out" method.



Mothers and fathers need to accept their little girl is probably having sex, and when they drop little Janie off at college, shes probably going to get fingercuffed by the two douchebags holding signs that read "Fathers drop your daughters off here!". (and thats no joke, every day on move in day for the dorms, there were asshats holding signs up like that). I'm sure there are some parents that would turn the fucking car around after seeing that.

 

[Pez68]

It helps prevent the kids having kids, only if those girls are willing to go to their parents, tell them they're having sex, and get birth control... Kids that would do that, are probably already responsible and smart enough to be using condoms in the first place... You aren't going to have more of those young women taking birth control just because it is free. The cost of birth control was never a concern for these girls in the first place. If your daughter came up to you and said she was having sex and wanted birth control, would the cost really be a concern? **** NO.



I see this having almost zero positive impact. The time spent on this legislation would be better spent on improving SEX EDUCATION in this country, and making kids aware of the consequences of UNPROTECTED sex.



On the subject, I had my oldest daughter when I was 17 and in high school, and she is now going into high school this fall. I'm actually speaking from experience here. I didn't knock up my wife because we couldn't obtain birth control. I knocked up my wife because we were young, stupid, and horny, and figured "it couldn't happen to us". The lack of access to birth control is probably the absolute last reason teens get pregnant. Do you realize how many organizations are out there where teens can go and get free condoms?

 

[TSD]

1 It helps prevent the kids having kids, only if those girls are willing to go to their parents, tell them they're having sex, and get birth control... Kids that would do that, are probably already responsible and smart enough to be using condoms in the first place... You aren't going to have more of those young women taking birth control just because it is free. The cost of birth control was never a concern for these girls in the first place. If your daughter came up to you and said she was having sex and wanted birth control, would the cost really be a concern? **** NO.



I see this having almost zero positive impact. The time spent on this legislation would 2 be better spent on improving SEX EDUCATION in this country, and making kids aware of the consequences of UNPROTECTED sex.



3 On the subject, I had my oldest daughter when I was 17 and in high school, and she is now going into high school this fall. I'm actually speaking from experience here. I didn't knock up my wife because we couldn't obtain birth control. I knocked up my wife because we were young, stupid, and horny, and figured "it couldn't happen to us". The lack of access to birth control is probably the absolute last reason teens get pregnant. Do you realize how many organizations are out there where teens can go and get free condoms?

pt1. its the parents responsibility to bring it up to their child first. With "Id prefer you not to, but if you do...bla bla bla". Kids sure as hell dont want to be the first people to bring that up.



pt2. Absoufuckinglutely. I am 100% on board with education gettin a little more "real" and "often" as far as sex education. As a product of the late 80's-90's primary and secondary education system, I had ONE class for a HALF of a semester of "health" of which sex education was only part of it, my junior year of highschool, that was it.



But with this you run into a stonewall from the religious right. Republicans can't support this without drawing the ire of their more fundamentalist constituents. (Im not saying all, I realize there are more realistic conservative constituents that would support this, but for politicians the goal is maximizing votes, and I doubt they would lose any over this issue, since the economy is going to be the forefront for awhile) and Sarah Palins daughter is the fucking poster girl for the failboat that is "abstinence only" sex ed.





3. Thats why I mentioned in my above post, maybe not in your case but if parents dont open up a dialogue, a Kid might be afraid to have any form of brith control around out of fear their parents might find it and a mix of stupidity.



It all does go back to education, if parents would open up a clearer dialogue with their kids, that they arent going to hate them if they do it, and you'd rather they be safe than worry about what they think, things might improve.

 

[Pez68]

A lot of it has to do with the parents, but let's be honest here. Most teenagers don't want to talk to their parents about that shit, even if their parents are proactive, and trying their best. It's embarrassing. It's also very easy for teens to screw up, even if they are using birth control methods. Whether those be condoms, or pills. Bottom line is, the education system needs better medical and technical education when it comes to sex, STDs, birth control, pregnancy, etc. There is no excuse for the sorry excuse for sex-ed kids get nowadays.

 

[LordKOTL]

A lot of it has to do with the parents, but let's be honest here. Most teenagers don't want to talk to their parents about that shit, even if their parents are proactive, and trying their best. It's embarrassing. It's also very easy for teens to screw up, even if they are using birth control methods. Whether those be condoms, or pills. Bottom line is, the education system needs better medical and technical education when it comes to sex, STDs, birth control, pregnancy, etc. There is no excuse for the sorry excuse for sex-ed kids get nowadays.

I can get behind that logic because I think American sex ed and their attitudes towards sex are abyssimally prudish. However, I do think that it can make a small dent in the numbers of teenage girls that are not embarassed, but rather afraid of repercussions of their parents find out they're screwing.



It's why I say there needs to be comprehensive sex ed from grades K-12--not just from teachers, but from parents as well. I think part of the embarassment factor comes from the fact that the subject (in spite of it being crucual to human life) is very taboo, and by the time it's broached to kids, they are in the phase of thinking their parents are complete idiots.