Bit of a random post really but one of the experiences I had
during my 2 week spoke placement in a sexual health clinic really got me
thinking. (Everything I say here will be protecting the person's identity in
line with the NMC Code.)
There were 2 girls who came in for a joint appointment. They
were both 15. One of the girls/young ladies (I find it weird calling her
girl when she was sexually active), let's call her "Eleanor", came in
to ask to have her contraceptive implant removed. The nurse asked why she
wanted to have it removed and "Eleanor" said that she 'just didn't
like it'. She seemed unsure as to why but was adamant that she wanted it taken
out. She was offered contraceptive pills, the depot injection and the coil as
alternatives but she refused all of them saying that she just knew she wouldn't
like them. Obviously the nurse has a duty to provide care and can advise but
not force someone into making a decision, so if "Eleanor" wanted the
implant removed and no alternative contraception that was up to her. The nurse
explained the risks of this but "Eleanor" said she knew and she'd be
careful and "probably" use condoms. Her friend, let's call her
"Sally", said that she would never use condoms as she always forgot
them. After another 10 minutes of discussion, "Eleanor" reluctantly
accepted contraceptive patches (a brilliant invention in my eyes) and had her
implant removed. The nurse explained how to use them but honestly I don't know
whether she will.
After leaving the room, the nurse explained that it's quite a
common thing to happen. She said she was almost 99% sure that
"Eleanor" would be coming back for either emergency contraception or
a pregnancy test pretty soon. What a sad thing that is. The nurse explained
that she had been meeting with her "Eleanor" since she was 12. 12! Yes, 12! I find it amazing that this young lady attended sexual
health clinics and think that many others should take a leaf from her book to
stay safe and healthy...I'm just flabbergasted that they need to. I don't know
if I'm just naive but how many people are actually mature enough to make such a
huge decision to have sex when they're 12 years old? I most certainly wasn't. I
was too busy living out my childhood, playing kerbsies, riding my bike, playing
netball, meeting with friends...you know, just being a normal young
nearly-teen. The thought would never have crossed my mind. Is it a generational
thing perhaps? Are children being pushed into adulthood by the media and peer
pressure? It really does make me sad to think that children are no longer
children.
