An astonishing 30 percent of women who get pregnant every day do so even while they are using contraception, said Dr. Philip Hindelang, University Women’s Clinic physician. This figure is alarming considering many people at the University engage in sexual activity under the notion that their contraceptive method of choice will ward off any and all unwanted pregnancies. And according to a Food and Drug Administration panel of medical experts, modern birth control pills, which contain a lower amount of pregnancy-inhibiting hormones, may not be as effective as they are made out to be. MSNBC reported recently that the FDA has seen increasing pregnancy rates in recent trials. The panel’s members said a newer, more comprehensive way to evaluate the actual risk of pregnancy associated with birth control pills may need to be implemented. The FDA needs to take this directive with the greatest seriousness. In the view of many people in American society, an ideal world would be one where everyone waited until marriage to have sex, and no child would be born outside of a stable family. But that is simply not going to happen, and believing that it will is an absurd pipe dream. A more sensible approach is for the FDA to offer more realistic estimates of how likely pregnancy is with oral contraceptives so everyone can have a more well-informed foundation upon which to base their decision to have sex. But it is also up to both men and women everywhere to make responsible choices about sex, including sticking to a strict routine with oral contraceptives and using condoms in addition to these as an added level of protection. Mistakes will always be made, of course. These can be limited, however, by having all of the information made available by the FDA about exactly how effective birth control pills are. Until a reliable measure of these pills is made available to the public, millions of couples will be taking a gamble with their sex lives, not knowing what the odds are. And only heartache can result from that.
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