On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a stark warning: “More than 3 million US women at risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancy.” What is their solution then? Stop drinking, completely, if you’re sexually active, unless you’re on birth control.
Does anyone actually think that is a good idea, or one that young women, unless they already don’t drink for other reasons, will follow?
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The idea behind the suggestion is to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome, a laudable goal which no one will argue with, certainly. This is especially the case when we hear stories of how difficult it can be to raise children who have sadly been so affected.
While the goal is noble, it is full of fear mongering and over reaction. The Washington Post calls it an “incredibly condescending warning,” since the CDC also released a graphic.
The CDC does make some worthy mentions, in that fetal alcohol syndrome is completely preventable, and most women don’t know their pregnant until several weeks later.
Most obstetricians will tell women that they should give up drinking completely. If a woman has been drinking in her pregnancy before she found out, it may be a concern to look into, but it also may not necessarily be the end of the world either. And yet that, at least in their message style, is what the CDC seems to be communicating.
One other takeaway from this is that the CDC may even be pushing the birth control pill on young women, which, while it has its own benefits, also has its concerns which should not be swept under the rug.
The graphic also contradicts its own warning in a way. It acknowledges that condoms are not only 99 percent effective to prevent unintended pregnancy, but also sexually transmitted infections, the latter which birth control does not protect against. Who is the government to say that young women go off the birth control pill, and don’t turn to using condoms with sexually active partners?
The CDC’s report may have good intent, but it is also likely to fall on deaf ears with its messaging and tone.
