Students For Life, an organization for high school, college and grad students, has produced an undercover video showing two women posing as young teens buying Sudafed and Plan B. Guess which one they were allowed to buy?
<![endif]–>Here are the common and infrequent side effects of Sudafed: chronic trouble sleeping, head pain, feeling restless, drowsiness, dizzy, involuntary quivering, loss of skin color, fast heartbeat, feel like throwing up, difficult or painful urination, nervous, feeling weak.
Here are the side effects of Plan B: menstrual changes, nausea, lower stomach (abdominal) pain, tiredness, headache, dizziness, breast pain, vomiting. Having severe abdominal pain may be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy for which immediate medical attention is required. [emphasis original] According to the Mayo Clinic, an ectopic pregnancy is life-threatening if left untreated. And if a 15 year old girl is trying to buy Plan B without her parent’s knowledge, how likely is she to tell them about the side effects of the drug?
As adults, we know that even over-the-counter medications can have adverse side effects. We may know about possible drug interactions. We might have the presence of mind to ask a pharmacist if a cold medication might interact with some prescription medication we’re taking. We also know that if we’re having side effects, we should seek medical attention. As adults, we also know that teens are unlikely to do any of these things, especially if they are trying to hide sexual activity.
As parents, we would want to know if the corner market is selling our underage children alcohol or cigarettes. We’d want to know if the tattoo parlor in town was inking kids without parental permission. We’d be angry if the school nurse started handing out medication to the kids at school without parental permission. “Plan B One-Step remains available for all ages, but still requires a prescription for women under the age of 17.”
Why is it okay for teens to buy Plan B, and not cold medicine?
