Students might think taking birth control will effectively prevent pregnancy, but there are always exceptions.
Colleen Smith, a 22-year-old Buffalo State College student, recently plead guilty to manslaughter after authorities discovered the body of her newborn baby in a dumpster outside her apartment on March 14.
The situation landed Smith in the middle of a media maelstrom, as people speculated why Smith - a well-educated middle-class white student - could throw her baby into the trash without thinking twice.
Now, as the media frenzy has calmed down and Smith prepares for three to 10 years in prison, students might have two questions remaining - First, why Depo Provera, the birth control shot Smith was taking, did not prevent pregnancy, and second, what are possible options when it is too late for abortion.
Smith has said she took the Depo Provera shot, a contraceptive taken intravenously four times a year, and said since she did not have a regular menstrual cycle, she did not know she was pregnant until it was too late for abortion.
According to Talia Maiyan, a training coordinator at Planned Parenthood of Buffalo and Erie County, the chances of having an unrecognized pregnancy are slim whether or not the woman is on birth control.
"Most women should know if they are pregnant. There are physical symptoms," said Maiyan.
Friends and co-workers have said Smith, with a slim build, always wore thick sweaters and scarves, even indoors, perhaps to hide the pregnancy.
Maiyan said the Depo Provera shot is 99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy and that it is the responsibility of the user to exercise vigilance.
Despite the low chance of being failed by birth control, as Smith said she was, Planned Parenthood advises women to acquaint themselves with their post-conception plans.
According to Maiyan, when abortion is ruled out as an option, women should consider the other possibilities for an infant they plan on carrying to full-term.
"There are two ideal options. First is legal adoption and second is parenting, which is the person who gives birth can be the parent of the baby," said Maiyan. "The third one is not the most ideal option, which is to give up the baby to an organization without going through legal adoption. For example, bringing the baby to the emergency room and leaving the baby with a person for them to find a home for the baby."
Giving up the baby "without going through legal adoption" is an option made available through the Safe Place for Newborns Act, which consists of bills passed at different times in different states.
Under this act, mothers who do not wish to keep their newborns can abandon the child without risk of prosecution at "safe surrender sites," such as emergency rooms and fire departments. This act was established in the hopes that the rash of infanticides - like Smith's case - would be curbed.
Students who learned of Smith's case said they were appalled.
"I think that it's devastating," said Susan Wolff, a junior health and human services major. "I think students should find someone to talk to right away, someone they can trust and help them to find what they need. I also strongly think that they should consider the value of human life."
According to Ellen Christensen, director of Health Education and Human Services, students should take advantage of counseling services if ever they find themselves in a similar situation.
"If they need help, we will support them all the way through," said Christensen.
Christensen said although what happened to Smith might not be the norm, women who are sexually active should exercise caution.
"It is very weird for (Smith's pregnancy) to have happened," she said. "If the woman doesn't take the shot on time, it will increase the risk of becoming pregnant, but if you follow the right direction, all the methods are pretty effective."
While Maiyan and Christensen advise students to go to counseling and Planned Parenthood sites with concerns about birth control and pregnancy, James Rosenbeck, a father of three, said students should be responsible for their actions and should take it upon themselves to become informed and that adoption should be as big an option as abortion.
"When bad thing happens, we have an obligation to do the right thing," he said. "If they decided to have sex, they should recognize the difficult situations (that can result) like pregnancy."
While making themselves aware of any post-conception options, students should concentrate on taking effective preventative measures, said Christensen.
"They should talk to us. We offer one-on-one sessions with her or with her partner," she said. "We go through every method of birth control and help them to understand the process. I think being informed and educated can reduce the risk of getting pregnant," said Christensen.
For sexual and pregnancy advice, Maiyan advises students to contact Planned Parenthood at 831-2200 or visit www.plannedparenthood.org. Christensen advised those in need, or those who want to learn preventative methods, to call 829-2584 for UB Health Education and Human Service, go to Hayes Annex C Suite 5 for walk-ins or visit www.subboard.com.
