South American contraception question.

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skalie
the honourable

Registered: Sep 2001
Location: ........
Posts: 15067

South American contraception question.

A good friend of mine told me that the US was putting pressure on South American countries to allow contraception to be available over the counter, while back home in the US that would be illegal.

Can someone verify this for me or at least let me know what the situation is in the US?

Had some weird results trying to sort this one out via the search engine.

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12-21-2001 07:28 PM

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CHiPsJr
Ginger-headed Troll

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

That's a really bizarre claim.

I can get contraceptives whenever I want them, over the counter.

The US doesn't fund the UN's population programs (one of Bush's first changes upon taking office) and is generally criticized for being too HESITANT to support family planning.

I really don't know to what your friend is referring, but my experience is that exactly the opposite is true. We believe in contraception and fetus snuffing but don't help others do the same.

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12-21-2001 08:04 PM

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Dingle
Gay for Mugtoe

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 10365

probably referring to birth control pills and implants and such, not condoms.

anyway, we want to keep those dirty foreignors from reproducing so theres more room for us americans.

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12-21-2001 08:14 PM

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skalie
the honourable

Registered: Sep 2001
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quote:
Originally posted by Dingle
probably referring to birth control pills and implants and such, not condoms.

Exactly.

quote:
Originally posted by Dingle
anyway, we want to keep those dirty foreignors from reproducing so theres more room for us americans. [/B]

While reproducing with Americans in America is encouraged.

So does it make your offspring more American if one of the perants is a foreigner? Land of the free love and all that. Do most Americans feel that they are indigenous with a little foreign blood mixed in?

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12-21-2001 08:28 PM

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Fiend
batshit crazy

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Bangor, ME
Posts: 10202

quote:
Originally posted by skalie
Do most Americans feel that they are indigenous with a little foreign blood mixed in?

yes

and i think you took dingleberry a little too seriously

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12-22-2001 12:34 AM

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Mordecai
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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Denver
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Hmmm, I'm thinking that the 'contraceptive' in question might be the 'morning after" pill, also known as "abortion pill" which is currently not sold in the US.

-m

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12-22-2001 02:12 AM

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Flit
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Registered: Nov 2000
Location: NH
Posts: 586

This is the morning after pill, this is the "abortion pill". Both are available in the US, neither one is available without a prescription (and I believe are also only taken in the Dr's office). The morning after pillis basically a megadose of birth control pills that triggers a woman's menstrual cycle before pregnancy happens, and is used when there is an emergency situation (rape, broken condom, etc.)
The "abortion pill" (RU-486) is used after the woman is pregnant (up to 7 weeks or so) and is a combination of steroids that interferes with the ability of the embryo to develop and also implant in the uterus.

Sorry, just had to clarify.

And to get back on track, no I have not heard of them being available over the counter in South America and quite honestly, I think that would be just plain stupid. Medications and drugs are very valuable tools we use as humans, and our bodies grow immune to them after long term or frequent use. These drugs are not the ones you want your friends and family picking up at the store so that you can go up to someone and ask "Do you have any RU-486?" like you would ask a friend for Tylenol.

My understanding of South America (correct me if I am wrong, please) is that has a large Catholic population. If there are no options like condoms or other methods of birth control available (foam, Nonoxinal-9, etc), then yes, I think they should be made available to the people who want to control their family size.

I will look around for some more info tomorrow, so I may speak more intellegently on this topic.

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12-22-2001 08:10 AM

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Smug Git
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I think that, although not efficacious enough to be described as a 'contraceptive', the rhythm method will be enough to limit the size of a family if that was desired and it is OK by the pope (the gang-bangin' thug from the Vatican 'hood) too. I imagine that there may be a cultural bias toward having large families, although perhaps I am wrong here. But the family size can be kept lower with timing related methods.

(good post Flit by the way)

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12-22-2001 08:55 AM

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Flit
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Registered: Nov 2000
Location: NH
Posts: 586

quote:
Originally posted by Smug Git
I think that, although not efficacious enough to be described as a 'contraceptive', the rhythm method will be enough to limit the size of a family if that was desired and it is OK by the pope (the gang-bangin' thug from the Vatican 'hood) too. I imagine that there may be a cultural bias toward having large families, although perhaps I am wrong here. But the family size can be kept lower with timing related methods.

Absolutely Smug, you are correct. I didn't even think about the rhythm method. Anywhoo, I did a quick google search this morning and couldn't find any news relating to this discussion. When I have more time later I'll look more carefully.

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12-22-2001 03:34 PM

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skalie
the honourable

Registered: Sep 2001
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"Being a true form moron I forgot about the power of e-mail, I asked my friend to repeat what she had told me over a few glasses of wine and this is her reply......"

I hope this will make sense I am typing in a hurry on the way to cook and then to a party.

The story was in the early 1990's (1992 I think) when there was money available for family planning overseas and was funding family planning programmers in Latin America that allowed the Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP) over the counter (over the counter means without a medical prescription). It changes with the administration.

As I was told the ECP was not available over the counter in the USA at that time and still isn't because there was no concensus on the 'safety' issues i.e countercontradictions that might be there for a women who was not medically examined first. NZ was asking questions about how to safely increase women's access to ECP. I understand that last year the ECP became available in NZ over the counter. As I understand it with restrictions.

This story has stayed in my mind as a bad example of development and circumstances may have changed over the years. I was also freaked out visiting Family Planning sites in the US to find them highly secure....a refection of the extreme right focus and killings at abortion clinics. Another example of bad development practice was the man who told me he woke in the night and has this vision. To teach the little yellow people the bible was his calling. We were standing in a crowded street in Xiamen at the time. Then other was - anecdotal is the women who gave / gives money ( a lot ) to family planning programmes to stop those black people having babies.

Development and family planning changed slightly in the last part of the 1990s. An international Conference in 1994 shifted global thinking from population control to reproductive rights. Therefore it is a persons right to have access to contraceptives / fertility choices / reproductive health services not for people to be given these services as a means to decrease population sizes etc. Goes into economics, poverty, south / north politics here.

While there has been a shift in thinking, and as you would expect action is slower to happen.

In response to the postings in general. I would clarify what it means to get contraception over the counter. If it is with a medical prescription then I completely understand, if not then changes have happened that I do not know about. (Just read Flits comments).The states also runs on a private / public health system which is very market focused. A market focused health system is for the rich or in a place like China is for the practitioners to get money. That is very simplistic as is a very complex system with many layers of 'stuff'.

Best posting by Flit. RU 486 (the abortion pill as it intervenes in the implantation of a fertilised egg later than 72 hours which is the ECPs time) is not available over the counter anywhere. It is prescribed under medical supervision like any new medical drug. RU 486 is available in limited countries. The court is still out on this one - not because medical studies show it is less safe then a surgical abortion - an intrusive method for the woman - but because of the moral right.

Also for Flit - different US agencies / NGOs programmes are heavily involved in family planning / reproductive health / mother and child health programmes in Latin America. Catholic or not they are there. Also women's groups in Latin America are fighting hard for their rights and the reproductive health rights of women in general - and that includes access to the right to chose and to safe contraception.

I do not have the reference for this - but did you know Italy has one of the lowest fertility rates in Europe. Catholicism does not mean contraceptives are not used. And of course the Vatican State the lowest. The Pope recently said it was okay to use condoms - not for family planning but for HIV. Not his exact words.

I would have to do some searching to verify what is happening currently in the USA, the Vatican's words, Latin America etc. . Can find you some sites later. Tell me what would be most useful.

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12-22-2001 03:57 PM