Girls under 16 will be permitted to stock up on the morning-after pill under new guidelines issued by the NHS, raising concerns that the move will promote promiscuity and place young women at an increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) claims that women under the age of 25 – including children under 16 - should be able to obtain the morning-after pill in bulk from the NHS in advance of having sexual intercourse.
The guidelines also claim that schools, nurses and pharmacists should be permitted to dispense the contraceptive pills freely, and that condoms should be "readily available" in places such as schools, colleges and youth clubs.
The move has been opposed by patients' groups, campaigners and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt amid concerns that it could result in an increase in sexually transmitted diseases, and there was not enough evidence to prove that it would reduce unwanted pregnancy rates.
"Alarmed"
Norman Wells, of the Family Education Trust said: “There is evidence that supplying emergency birth control to girls and young women without charge and behind the backs of their parents is proving counter-productive.
“It is all part of a mix encouraging them to take a more casual attitude to sex and exposing them to increased risk of sexually transmitted infections and emotional harm.
“In the absence of any evidence that the morning-after pill reduces unintended pregnancy and abortion rates, there is no justification for NICE and other government agencies recommending advance supply of the morning-after pill and investing taxpayers’ money in policies that don’t work.”
"Worrying"
Josephine Quintavalle, from the pressure group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: “I think it is really worrying and deeply unwise.
"Having a stockpile of the morning-after pill on hand is a licence for unprotected sex, and that puts young women at increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases.”
Andrea Williams of Christian Concern said: "These guidelines make a mockery of age of consent laws, and usurp the role of parents who alone have the right to raise their children in accordance with their religious and ethical convictions.
"Making contraceptive services available to children will only encourage premature sexual activity with damaging and far-reaching consequences.
“Children need to be protected from the liberal sexual ethic underlying Britain’s ‘contraception culture’ and taught about the benefits of abstinence before marriage.”
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