PHARMACISTS ACROSS the island, as we have reported, are ringing alarm bells about the abuse of 'the morning after pill', Postinor 2. The contraceptive pill, which can block pregnancy if taken within 72 hours after sexual intercourse, was removed from the prescribed drug list and made an over-the-counter drug in May.
Since then, pharmacists have noted an explosion of use, including schoolchildren. "Some people just come for it like a normal sweet," says one Montego Bay pharmacist. And while recommended usage is no more than twice per month as an emergency contraceptive device, there are persons popping the pill up to five times a month, which has side effects like internal bleeding.
As the use of Postinor 2 escalates, pharmacists are registering declining sales of condoms and believe the two are causally linked. Condoms are not just contraceptive devices but offer protection against sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS. Declining condom sales should set off alarm bells especially in light of the grim statistic of an increasing national rate of infection which came with World AIDS Day last week Monday.
The Postinor 2 policy has exposed yet again the cavalier attitude towards sex which characterises too many of our people, with serious implications for family life, social and economic development and the control of sexually transmitted diseases. Several studies have confirmed what is well-known anecdotally that even very young children are heavily engaged in casual sex in the way of their elders. And despite the wide availability of knowledge and of devices, very little precaution is taken against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases in these casual encounters.
The Ministry of Health was unduly optimistic, or perhaps naive, to believe that 'counselling' by pharmacists would lead to a responsible use of the morning-after pill. Casual users of the 'sweet' are shopping around and are not in any way obliged to take the unsolicited advice offered. The pharmacists are obliged to sell and are not even in a position to keep track of multiple use with the pill obtained from different suppliers.
Sellers of the over-the-counter post-coitus contraceptive are in no position whatsoever to engineer the behaviour modification necessary to effect limited and safe use of Postinor 2. But that behaviour modification is a matter of urgent necessity if the national burden of irresponsible sexual behaviour is to be brought under some reasonable control.
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