14 ADS October 6, 20<strong>05</strong> silverCHIPS
silverCHIPS October 6, 20<strong>05</strong> FEATURES 15 When Plan A falters, Plan B steps in exually active teens find a safeguard from pregnancy with controversial contraception pills By CAMILLE MACKLER Where only first names appear, names have een changed to protect the identities of sources. Things don’t always go as planned. Last ear, despite regularly using contraceptives o prevent pregnancy, one missed pill and ne broken condom left Jessica, a senior, in eed of a backup. “It was unsettling,” she ays. It was a Friday night and the clinics ere closed for the weekend, leaving Jessica errified for the next three days. That Monday, she made a trip to the local ealth clinic, where a brief exchange with the octor left her with two small pills. “All it ook was five minutes of conversation, but I elt significantly relieved,” she says. Jessica was prescribed Emergency Contraeptive Pills (ECPs). This treatment is given n a series of pills and is most effective the ooner it begins. At the Teen Connection linic in Takoma Park and at Planned Parentoods across the state of Maryland, ECPs are reely available to all women under the age of 8. In fact, more than 80 percent of Planned arenthood health care clients receive serices to prevent unintended pregnancy, and n estimated 594,000 unintended pregnancies re averted by Planned Parenthood contraeptive services each year. While ECPs are most frequently used n cases of unprotected sex, a handful of exually active Blazers are taking the extra recaution to prevent pregnancy when their rimary, or even secondary, form of contraception fails. “The thought was terrifying” Last winter, Amy, a senior, found herself n a situation similar to Jessica’s. She had een taking birth control irregularly, and he condom she and her boyfriend used roke. Although the odds were in her favor, he decided she could not afford the risk of regnancy. “The thought was terrifying,” ays Amy. “There’s no way I’d have a child ow.” She, too, went to her local clinic, where he was immediately prescribed Plan B. In other cases, bad judgment and a lack f protection can leave teenagers vulnerable o and worried about pregnancy. The sumer after <strong>10</strong>th grade, Susan, a senior, had nprotected sex with her boyfriend after eturning home from vacation. Immediately fterwards, she realized the possible conseuences of her actions and called Planned arenthood to get a Plan B prescription. “I know it was irresponsible and it sounds stupid, but sex is something you get caught up in,” explains Susan. Like most other teenagers, she decided not to involve her parents. “If I’m responsible enough to have sex, I’m responsible enough to take care of myself,” she says. Although Jessica, Susan and Amy have all used Plan B a second time as a backup to other contraceptives, they agree that the experience gave them a reality check. “There’s so much sexual activity in high school, and in some ways it seems so casual,” says Susan. “This made me realize sex is serious.” Time for Plan B When Susan arrived at Planned Parenthood, she was still in a state of shock. “I sat there looking at other people and I didn’t understand how I got myself in that situation,” she explains. Although she felt uncomfortable in such an unfamiliar environment, Susan realized she wasn’t alone. “Everyone is represented. Old, young and people of all races,” she says. “Sex affects everyone.” John Nugent, the CEO and president of Planned Parenthood of Maryland, says the organization has been providing reproductive health care for women and men of all ages for 75 years. “We provide valueneutral counseling, which means we don’t inflict our values on someone. We try and determine what solution is best for them,” says Nugent. He emphasizes that women do not have to come into the clinic to receive Plan B and that no physical exam is necessary. “Because of the short period of time to prevent pregnancy, time is crucial,” insists Nugent. Instead, women can call a toll-free number, which is available on a 24-hour basis. The phone representatives will call in a prescription and refer callers to a pharmacy that offers Plan B. “It’s a matter of picking up the medication,” says Nugent. After her experiences with ECPs, Jessica encourages all girls to ask for Plan B if they have any doubts. “Don’t be afraid of the stigma associated with the pill,” she says. “Don’t be afraid of being judged.” Plan B politics While oral contraceptives have been used for the past four decades and ECPs have been used safely since 1999, the FDA is still debating whether to make Plan B over-the-counter (OTC). Most recently, the FDA postponed a final decision for the second time this year, sparking a heated debate among Plan B advocates and within the FDA itself. Plan B supporters are outraged because they believe the FDA’s verdict was politically based. According to Nugent, “All the scientific data indicates that this is a safe product — the FDA turned it down, not because of science, but because of politics.” Most critics, however, fear that not only will women misuse the drug, but that it will also increase sexual activity among teenage girls. Considering that more than 30 percent of American women do not know enough about ECPs to effectively use them, according to Planned Parenthood, the misuse and abuse of the drug is inevitable. For this reason, Amy believes going to a clinic is an important part of obtaining ECPs. Talking to a doctor first is a good way to prevent people from taking advantage of its availability and using it too often, she says. Although Jessica strongly supports making Plan B available OTC, she also admits that there are benefits to going to a clinic. “I think it would have been more nerve-wrenching if I had to buy it from a pharmacist,” she says. “I think going to a clinic and talking to someone makes the situation a lot more comfortable.” Hannah Klaus, the executive director of Teen STAR, a sexual education program for adolescents, discourages the use of contraceptives like Plan B because she feels that they are too unreliable. “Sexual relations are very precious, and contraceptives are giving people a false sense of security,” says Klaus. “It’s not a cure-all.” Critics also believe that availability of Plan B might result in increased promiscuity. But according to Planned Parenthood, new studies negate this claim, finding that, while increased access to ECPs does increase the likelihood of use, this access does not alter sexual behavior or the risk for contracting STDs. Ultimately, Susan, Jessica and Amy feel no remorse over being sexually active and still choose to use contraception. “I don’t regret my choice to have sex,” says Susan. “I regret my choice to be irresponsible.” evout teens defy tradition to follow beliefs from RELIGION page 13 tend to convert when they face that used to take him 20 to 30 min- off his shoes and joined the men traumatic situations — a death in utes now take five to <strong>10</strong> minutes. sitting on the floor in silence, their anyone else. You don’t have to try the family, an accident, a divorce He has not missed a single prayer ears tuned in to the imam’s voice. on all the shoes at the store before — that make them reflect on why since taking his shahada. After the half-hour sermon, he and you know that what you’re buy- events happen or whether a God His commitment to Islam was the other men stood in lines facing ing is the right one,” he says. exists, Pearce says. put to the test when he visited his the same direction, their feet and Coming from a liberal and non- relatives in Boston. Religious law shoulders touching, in preparaeligious family, Lorenz can tes- Embarking on the journey holds that devout Muslims cantion for prayer. ify to a similar ideological divide not shake hands with people of Jordan cherishes the unity at etween himself and his parents. That question no longer trou- the opposite sex. Jordan refused the mosque, where people wish My family is united in being bles Jordan, who believes that Is- handshakes from several of his each other “as-salaamu alaikum,” or affled by faith,” he remarks, exlam has shown him a new direction uncle’s friends, and his uncle took “peace be upon you,” in greeting. laining that for his life. offense, not knowing that Jordan’s “When I go to the mosque, every- eligion tends “As a non- new religion forbade the gesture. one treats me as an equal. They o attract negtive stigma in “My family is r e l i g i o u s person, it The search for truth say hello as if we’ve been friends forever,” Jordan says. olitically libral areas. This ocial pressure akes some eople afraid united in being baffled by faith.” didn’t feel like there was a purpose, just living day Back in Maryland on a Friday afternoon, these teens depart from their daily lives into their separate worlds of faith. Lorenz goes to Lorenz believes that at the core of Christianity lies a very similar feeling: love. Reading the Bible moved him to admire God’s compassion and capacity for for- o associate ith Christi- - senior Joe Lorenz by day. As a Muslim, a Bible study group at the Marvin Memorial Methodist Church, giveness. God shows this forgiving attitude, Lorenz says, in that nity, he says. the purpose across the street from <strong>Blair</strong>, while Christianity has no strict moral or Most teens is to serve Jordan attends the Friday prayer behavioral code. “All you have ith nonreligious parents adopt Allah,” he says. at the Muslim Students’ Associa- to do is believe,” he says. “The faith because their friends prac- Every morning, Jordan wakes tion’s weekly meeting. desire to become a better person ice it, says Lisa Pearce, another up at 5:30 a.m. to say the first of five For Jordan, this is the most im- comes naturally.” ead investigator for the NSYR. prayers required of Muslims daily. portant prayer of the week. He As a result of converting, Re- ccording to Pearce, only a small Although he is “not at all fluent” went to the Friday prayer at his cinos curses less, puts more effort ercentage of teens actively seek a in Arabic, he has memorized the mosque during the summer, when into school and does not skip class eligion to help themselves under- basic parts of each prayer so he school did not intervene. Every anymore, he says. He now goes tand life. Teens in this subgroup can recite them faster. Prayers time he entered the doors, he took to church from Friday through Graphic by Camille Mackler Blazers from nonreligious families try to balance their adopted faiths with their daily lives Sunday, attends a Christian teen group on Wednesdays and plans on starting a Bible study group on Saturdays with a friend. Most of all, Recinos feels a true personal connection with God. “What’s the point of life without God? You live, you procreate, you die,” he says. “There’s a truth out there with God.” Teen believers • Seventy-one percent of teens said that they feel “extremely,” “very” or “somewhat close” to God. • At least 80 percent identify themselves as followers of a major religion. • Sixty-five percent said that they prayed alone at least a few times a week. Information compiled from the National Study of Youth and Religion
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