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Alternative contraception is cause for debate
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Medical and religious groups on the Boise State campus agree that the Federal Drug Administration’s approval of over-the-counter Plan B emergency contraception is positive. What they do not agree on are the wider implications of alternate birth control methods.
Andrew Chamberlain is a Boise State student and member of Intervarsity Christian fellowship, an interdenominational religious group at BSU.
Chamberlain believes in abstinence until marriage, but he agrees with the use of Plan B as well as birth control in general.
“Using birth control to counteract reproductive effects doesn’t remove the meaningfulness of sex,” Chamberlain said.
According to the Dr. Vincent Serio, director of medical services for the Health, Wellness and Counseling Services Center at Boise State University, Plan B is in no way connected with any action taken later in pregnancy.
“This [Plan B] is one of the things I think is misconstrued in the media. It’s not an abortion pill; it’s a contraceptive, its preventative.”
Serio takes very different steps, depending on whether a woman tests either negative or positive for pregnancy.
In 2005 Serio, along with the Boise State Health, Wellness and Counseling Center, prescribed 58 patients with emergency contraception.
“Their primary birth control method just didn’t work for whatever reason and so they’re looking for a backup,” Serio said.
Women have come to Serio thinking they have problems with their urinary tract and are surprised when he gives them a pregnancy test.
“If they come in and have a positive pregnancy test than we don’t give them emergency contraception – it’s just not done,” Serio said.
Licensed United Methodist Minister Dave Buechler also agrees with implementing Plan B, but if anything is used in the form of an abortion he has an issue with it. Buechler is also the advisor to Boise State’s United Methodist Student Movement and is morally opposed to aborting a pregnancy after 10 weeks.
“I believe abortion is killing another life, but we all have to come to that in our own way,” Buechler said.
Setting personal beliefs aside, Buechler and the Methodist church will not turn anyone away who has had an abortion. He believes the fall out from an abortion is more emotional and psychological than physical.
“While I can lead people and I can guide them to forgiveness that forgiveness is going to happen between them and God,” Buechler said.
Chamberlain is opposed to abortion as birth control if it takes effect after the fetus has developed traits that make it a unique person. He believes, as a person, the fetus should be entitled to certain rights.
Serio believes in the right for a patient to make the choice. “It’s the college-age mindset that they know the resources that are available in the community and Planned Parenthood is probably the most vocal or the most visible,” Serio said.
According to Serio the Boise State Health and Wellness Center is rarely, if at all, put in the position of advising future parents of their options.
“If the person knows she is pregnant than they do not need their doctor or family practitioner to tell them where to go to get an abortion,” Serio said.
There are many more factors that weigh in on the issue of abortion for someone in Beuchler’s position. If a pregnant student comes to him wondering what to do, Beuchler will try and steer her away from having an abortion. If an abortion is performed, he will help deal with all of the problems associated with that decision.
Serio does not speak for all of the Boise State Health, Wellness and Counseling Center employees, Andrew Chamberlain does not speak for all of Intervarsity or Boise State students and Dave Beuchler does not speak for all religious groups on campus. However, this slice of university involvement is in agreement that preventative measures are positive.
They tend to disagree only after the woman has tested positive for pregnancy.
“It’s really easy for me to sit here and say you don’t have the right to have an abortion, but if my 15-year-old daughter comes home one day and says, ‘Dad, I’m pregnant’ that puts the debate in a whole new light,” Beuchler said.
The Federal Drug Administration approved Plan B emergency contraception for non- prescription use on Aug 24 for women 18 years and older. Women under the age of 17 still need a doctor’s prescription. In celebration of the FDA’s decision, Planned Parenthood’s Nampa clinic provided Plan B over-the-counter and free of charge on September 2.
Plan B is not RU-486, commonly called “the abortion pill.” If Plan B is taken after a positive pregnancy it will not affect the outcome.
BARRY FRANKLIN
