[tiny_ta]

You're absolutely right that, ideally, this would be a conversation with a professional, non-moralizing doctor.

But there could be many scenarios where one doesn't have access to such care - think of the uninsured, think of teenage girls who don't want their parents to know, think of women in abusive relationships who don't want to get pregnant, the list goes on. If you were on your partner's/parent's plan, there is no way you could visit an OBGYN without them knowing. In addition to this, like the other commenter mentioned, this has also somehow devolved into a political issue here.

[basisword]

Very interesting. It sounds like the issue is the healthcare system. When I was a teenager I could make a doctors appointment without my family knowing and without paying anyone or leaving a trace. It’s a side of the US system I hadn’t considered before (lack of privacy) so thanks for explaining it. Great that this will help some people but fixing the system seems much more important than letting people buy medicine OTC without advice and a review of their history.

[tiny_ta]

I couldn't agree more! :)