My friend wants to take her mother’s birth control pills

Hey Rosie,

I am a teenager. My good friend has been seeing this guy and they like each other a lot. They’ve told each other “I love you”.

She’s known him for almost six years. They’ve been talking about having sex and seeing if she is ready, because she has been hesitant; she wants to, but she knows it’s not right.{{more}} So she decided to say yes, but she wants to be sure she’s protected and wants to take birth control pills, but doesn’t want to ask her mom, because she doesn’t want her to know. She didn’t know how to get them, so she took her mom’s, because she hasn’t been or isn’t using them and my friend is pretty confident she wouldn’t know that they’re gone. She hasn’t taken them yet, but she is debating to.

She sometimes asks me for help on what her decision should be, but I don’t know what to tell her. I don’t want to tell her to not do it, because then it might push her to the side that she will do it; so I tell her it is her decision. What can I tell her? She believes she’s ready. Is she just blinded by the fact that she might actually be in love with him?

What to do

Dear What to do?

I am very touched about your concern for your friend. Not many people are this fortunate in life.

Having said that, I am put in a very delicate position in terms of birth control and teenage sex, but here goes:

Straight up, your friend, or any teenager, shouldn’t be even considering sex or engaging in it willingly at this point. It can wreck you and totally push you off course completely.

There’s teenage pregnancy, there are diseases and of course HIV or AIDS. Need I say more?

Your friend isn’t thinking straight.

She is caught up in the whole puppy love of wanting to prove herself to her boyfriend; even though she has major doubts herself, she’s bowing to the pressure. So, we have to get her an adult that she can trust; maybe a teacher, a guider, someone from church? She needs to speak to someone as soon as possible!

Regarding the issue of the birth control, she needs to stop taking her mother’s pills, this is ridiculous. Why would she do that? Taking any kind of medication that is not intended for you is dangerous, plain and simple.

Look, if this becomes too much for you, I would suggest that you confide in an adult yourself. Maybe they can assist you in helping your friend out of this major muddle, before it becomes a real problem.

Bottom line is to reach out for help; you are too young for all this drama. All the best.

Rosie

● Send questions to Rosie at:heyrosie24@yahoo.com or P.O Box 152, Kingstown, St. Vincent &the Grenadines.