Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Day-after pill is schoolies 'safe' choice
Herald Sun - 29nov05
HUNDREDS of young women are risking disease by unprotected sex during schoolies' week.
And they are flocking to chemists for the over-the-counter morning-after pill.
More than 20,000 schoolies from Victoria and NSW are celebrating in Surfers Paradise, and some pharmacists are fed up with the dozens of 17 and 18-year-olds walking through their doors every day.
One said some schoolies were only concerned about potential pregnancies, not about contracting a sexually transmitted infection.
Research by Victorian hospitals has shown the rate of STIs in Australia has tripled over the past five years.
Centro Chemist, in the heart of the schoolies precinct, has been handing out morning-after pills regularly since celebrations began on the Gold Coast 11 days ago.
"It goes with the territory," pharmacist Jane said.
"Now that it is so accessible, the schoolies are just treating it like another contraceptive."
Before Australia-wide laws allowing over-the-counter sale of the emergency contraception were passed in January last year, only doctors were able to prescribe it.
Today schoolies pay $31.95 for the pill, which is at least $20 less than the cost of seeing a doctor.
Jane said many of the young women had already taken the pill at least once before.
"It is amazing how many of them are using it as a constant contraceptive," she said.
Jane said it was frustrating for health professionals to see teenagers putting themselves at risk of catching an STI.
"All we can do is advise them to use condoms," she said.
A Day and Night Pharmacy employee said more than 150 schoolies had asked for the morning-after pill from its central Surfers Paradise chemist in the past week.
"It really annoys me when I tell them that they should be using condoms and they just shrug their shoulders," the woman said.
Director of the Centre for Adolescent Health at the Royal Children's Hospital, Prof Susan Sawyer, said she was not surprised by the widespread use of the pill.
"We know that one in four young people having sex are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, so we understand that schoolies' week is a challenging time for them and there will be a lot of unplanned sex," Prof Sawyer said.
But she said the popularity of the morning-after pill among schoolies was a positive sign teenagers were looking after themselves.
"It is a good thing that the schoolies are seeking emergency contraception in terms of reducing the risk of unplanned pregnancy.
"But we hope that taking the morning-after pill is a step towards more reliable contraception, especially condoms."
HUNDREDS of young women are risking disease by unprotected sex during schoolies' week.
And they are flocking to chemists for the over-the-counter morning-after pill.
More than 20,000 schoolies from Victoria and NSW are celebrating in Surfers Paradise, and some pharmacists are fed up with the dozens of 17 and 18-year-olds walking through their doors every day.
One said some schoolies were only concerned about potential pregnancies, not about contracting a sexually transmitted infection.
Research by Victorian hospitals has shown the rate of STIs in Australia has tripled over the past five years.
Centro Chemist, in the heart of the schoolies precinct, has been handing out morning-after pills regularly since celebrations began on the Gold Coast 11 days ago.
"It goes with the territory," pharmacist Jane said.
"Now that it is so accessible, the schoolies are just treating it like another contraceptive."
Before Australia-wide laws allowing over-the-counter sale of the emergency contraception were passed in January last year, only doctors were able to prescribe it.
Today schoolies pay $31.95 for the pill, which is at least $20 less than the cost of seeing a doctor.
Jane said many of the young women had already taken the pill at least once before.
"It is amazing how many of them are using it as a constant contraceptive," she said.
Jane said it was frustrating for health professionals to see teenagers putting themselves at risk of catching an STI.
"All we can do is advise them to use condoms," she said.
A Day and Night Pharmacy employee said more than 150 schoolies had asked for the morning-after pill from its central Surfers Paradise chemist in the past week.
"It really annoys me when I tell them that they should be using condoms and they just shrug their shoulders," the woman said.
Director of the Centre for Adolescent Health at the Royal Children's Hospital, Prof Susan Sawyer, said she was not surprised by the widespread use of the pill.
"We know that one in four young people having sex are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, so we understand that schoolies' week is a challenging time for them and there will be a lot of unplanned sex," Prof Sawyer said.
But she said the popularity of the morning-after pill among schoolies was a positive sign teenagers were looking after themselves.
"It is a good thing that the schoolies are seeking emergency contraception in terms of reducing the risk of unplanned pregnancy.
"But we hope that taking the morning-after pill is a step towards more reliable contraception, especially condoms."
