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"Morning after" pill for girls over 13
HIGH street chemists will soon be able to supply the 'morning after pill' to girls as young as 13 as part of the town's on-going drive to cut the number of unwanted teenage pregnancies.
Currently, under 16 year olds can only obtain emergency hormonal contraception - as it is known - from the Doncaster Royal Infirmary's genito-urinary medicine clinic, from family doctor surgeries, and sexual health outreach nurses.
But Doncaster Primary Care Trust has confirmed that pharmacists will be able to provide the drug free of charge on request to any girl aged over 13. The move, which will take effect within the next few weeks, is in line with government guidance.
Dr David Brown, the PCT's medical advisor, said: "An unwanted pregnancy for a teenager is a bitter disappointment for all concerned and helping to prevent this is one of our key aims. We do not want to encourage underage sex but we do want to prevent the consequences of unprotected sex and we believe this is a safe and effective way of doing so."
The PCT has provided special training in young people's issues to pharmacists who will provide the morning-after pill to under-16s, including giving advice on how to access routine contraception methods.
The national target is to halve the rate of teenage conceptions amongst the under-18s between 1998 and 2010. In 2005 over 7,400 girls under 18 and some as young as 13 became pregnant. In 1998 Doncaster's teenage pregnancy rate was 58 per cent higher than the national average and the local rate has fluctuated in the 10 years since then.
Many pharmacies currently provide the morning-after pill free on the NHS and since 2001 anyone aged over 16 has been able to buy it over the counter for around 25.
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Weather for Doncaster
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
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