SYDNEY, June 8, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Australian federal Health Minister Tony Abbott has joined with the Australian Medical Association (AMA) in calling for more restricted access to the morning after pill, sold in Australia by the brand name, Postinor-2. “I am considering what the Government can do to try to ensure that it is only dispensed after suitable counseling,” he said. Abbott is concerned that young girls and teenagers, who are able to buy the abortifacient drug over the counter, are using it without adequate medical supervision.
AMA ethics spokeswoman Rosanna Capolingua said, “Tony Abbott is right to be concerned about girls aged 14 or so being able to purchase the pill because there’s clear concerns about age of consent and having unprotected sex.” Capolingua continued, “Only a doctor is trained to counsel a girl about issues such as sex occurring under the influence of drugs or alcohol or in an abusive situation.” Meanwhile, pharmacists in Jamaica, where Prostinor-2 is also available without restriction over the counter, are complaining that the drug is being abused by young girls, even school children who have no problem buying it. The Jamaican pharmacists have seen a drop in condom sales indicating that more people are engaging in “unprotected” sexual activity and are therefore much more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases.
One pharmacist who declined to be identified said, “Now that they have made it over the counter, everybody is just walking in for Postinor 2… Abstinence is no longer an option. We have had to increase stock. Once 10 packs of Postinor 2 would last for a month or a month and a half, now it lasts for two weeks or 10 days depending on the season. I am worried about the trend. It appears that persons are becoming more reckless. Some persons even come to purchase the pill before they have sex, just in case,” she added. Several United Nations-sponsored organizations such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and UNFPA have undertaken a gigantic global promotion of the morning after pill claiming that it is merely a contraceptive and is harmless. Pro-life, pro-family organizations have warned that the results would be exactly what is being observed in Jamaica and Australia. The push to make the morning after pill freely available was especially strong in developing countries where United Nations population control efforts have been particularly energetic. Coverage from the West Australian: https://www.thewest.com.au/20040608/news/general/tw-news-general-home-sto126255.html Coverage from the Jamaica Gleaner: https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20031130/lead/lead1.html