What it’s like to be slut-shamed when buying birth control
Even when pharmacists do let people access contraception, whether emergency contraception or condoms or prescription birth control pills, the process isn’t always free of judgment. In a series of recent online discussions, people across the country have begun to share stories of the stigma they’ve experienced. As many have pointed out, this can be especially damaging to teens.
DO YOU SEE THIS? PHARMACY EMPLOYEES IN THE U.S. ARE NOT LEGALLY ALLOWED TO DO THIS. THAT GOES FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE FRONT AS WELL AS PEOPLE IN WHITE COATS BEHIND THE CAGE.
If an employee in a pharmacy makes a snide comment – Front store workers, pharmacists, or Pharmacy Techs give you shit? Gently (Or not so gently) remind them that the waiver they signed upon being hired legally binds them from commenting on your purchase, as it is a violation of privacy laws. Doing so is grounds for INSTANT termination and hefty fines.
Pharmacy workers (white coats) are legally obligated to ASK if you need an explanation of how medication works and any side effects, any medication conflicts etc. If you decline, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED AT ALL TO MAKE SNIDE REMARKS OR FARTHER COMMENT ON YOUR PURCHASE. FRONT STORE EMPLOYEES CAN NOT AT ALL COMMENT IN ANY WAY, IN ANY STORE WITH A PHARMACY IN IT.
Know your rights. If this shit happens? Call them the fuck out and ask to speak to a manager. Get worked up. Cause a scene. Threaten a Lawsuit. If you see this happening to someone else, and they seem to be struggling, speak up for them.
As a Pharmacy worker, you bet your ass I’ll protect you and your privacy. IT’S MY JOB.
PLUS: I know many girls who use it to regulate their periods so its not all crazy.
I’ve mentioned this before here, but back in high school, I was prescribed BC because I had terrible ovarian cysts that would rupture whenever I’d ovulate. So it’d be 7 days of heavy bleeding and white-knuckle pain for my period, and then stabbing pain in my ovary two weeks later, with spotting, for days.
The people who found out that I was on BC were quick to make comments about it, even though I hadn’t been ever KISSED much less had sex.
They’d ask in church if I was feeling better (because the last ruptured cyst landed me in the ER it was so painful), and I’d tell them what the doctor said, and then the side-eyes would begin… which would carry on into university, etc.
Which doesn’t actually have anything to do with the pharmacy, though I can say that my university doctor denied doing a premarital physical because he said that “we don’t live in babylon!” and laughed… Because going to BYU somehow means that people are going to be automatically HEALTHY???? WITH NO PROBLEMS??? And he was resistant to renew my prescription, but I managed to get THAT at least.
Though, you know, even if I WAS using birth control for, you know, BIRTH CONTROL instead of managing PCOS, it wouldn’t be any of their business anyway. Safe sex is important. Taking preventive measures for unwanted pregnancies is great! High five for doing the responsible thing regardless of the dumbasses that try to make you feel bad about it.