to not want to feel humiliated for asking for the morning after pill?

[byebyebirdy]

Had an incident last night with newish boyfriend where the condom split - after a panicky night lesson is well and truly learnt, I'm going to sort out going on the pill asap.

So this morning I search out the nearest open pharmacy and head on down. Not once have I needed the MAP before but I've heard the stories through friends/online about how some pharmacists can be a bit arsy about giving it.

Pharmacy is at a busy supermarket. I go to the counter and (quietly) ask the assistant, who goes round the back to where the pharmacist is. I hear her tell him what I'm asking for. His response is a loud "WHAT!" and a laugh. He tells her to tell me the price (I know its not free), assistant comes back to tell me then goes back to tell him I'm fine with that.

Pharmacist then appears, guy in his late 50s I think, stands in front of me grinning and says in a loud voice "have you had the MAP before?". I tell him no. Theres other customers now waiting to be served by the assistant so I'm starting to feel a bit red around the face.

Pharmacist then spends a few minutes fiddling with the door to the consultation room and takes me inside. Gives me the 'chat' about the MAP, asks me lots of questions - fair enough but the tone of his voice and the way he phrased the questions made me feel pretty ashamed. During this chat hes holding some leaflets about sexual health etc and tosses them into my shopping basket when hes done. He warns me to be much more careful next time.

Come out of the consultation room feeling so embarrassed, pay and flee the area. Felt like a slag quite frankly. Was I being too sensitive?

I've had this. As a much younger woman (early 20s) I was made to stand at a corner of the counter and grilled about my love life. Grilled is the only way I could put it as the (older male) pharmacist was obviously a bit narked and disapproving. It made me pretty angry but I needed the MAP so had to stand there and take the grilling. It still makes me angry now but it's yet another small thing you just put up with to be kindly permitted autonomy over your own body, isn't it? These days I'd definitely complain.

Please if you're at all able complain.

A friend of mine was raped by her ex boyfriend. As a result she needed map this kind of treatment would have been the last thing she needed and could have resulted in her walking away without map.

I've used it several times for various reasons. Shit happens.

Another friend of mine is a pharmacist in our very small goldfish bowl home town. She regularly must have to dispense medication to people she knows well for a variety of potentially embarrassing reasons and would never behave like this. Indeed over the years she's known things for months good and bad and of course been unable to tell anyone as she'd have got the sack.

Appalling behaviour. Hope you're OK now.