Your first time...

Nevyn

Right every woman who has had sex will have had a pregnancy scare and had to face going to buy a pregnancy test for the first time.

What was your first time buying a test like ?

Ireland has come a long way from the chemists being small shops where those behind the counter knew your Ma and Da and you had to ask for condoms and pregnancy tests and even if you went into town you had to face the same thing with the tutting and the inhalation of breath or in some cases being refused a home pregnancy kit cos you were too young or not married.

And lets face it when your mind is rebelling against the fact that you maybe
and your period is late the last thing you need is more stress.

My first time I was told that they were only sold to married people and spent the guts of a Saturday walking the city center and had to try 7 places before I found a place that would sell me one as they were behind the dispensing counter and a nice friendly chemist who told me that she would sell it to me as she was protestant and most catholic chemists would not despite the fact I was 18 it was none of their business and it wasn't illegal to sell them to me.

These days thankfully they can be chucked into a basket with various other things and paid at a till or bought online.

So what was your first time like ?

sunnyside

I'm 29 and shocked at that. It's a far cry from today when nobody cares what your buying so long as they get your money for it.

You must have been mortified at the time, it sounds so embarassing.

I've never bought a pregnancy test kit (on the pill and no scares) yet....

cute_cow

bought 1 when i was about 22 and it was ok. Was in Dublin so was just another statistic!!

Nevyn

Well sunnyside I am only 33 so that was 15 years ago but I know of people who have had trouble in smaller towns down the country over the last two years trying to get a test.

Oryx

I was 17/18 when I bought my first one. My only abiding memory of the whole episode was how my heart was going kthunk kthunk so hard in my chest from the minute I bought it till I did the test, I thought someone would notice. I must not have had a problem buying it as I cant recall.

Oh, the relief of not seeing that little line.

The second one was years later when I was actually pregnant. At that stage you buy them as easy as buying tampax. I got my hb to check it, and he said, nah, nothing there. Big sigh, but I had a look myself, just in case, and of course, there was a tell tale line. Its only recently thinking about it, I realised... hb is colourblind and couldnt see it. Good job hes not a girl.:)

Ginny

Think mine was about 11/12 years ago, but again I was lucky enough that it easy enough, but I of course was paranoid and terrified one of my parents friends would bump into me:D

cuckoo

I bought my first one in a chemist in the city centre on my way home from work, feeling all stress-y and hormonal. It was like the cliche from a bad tv program, i grabbed one and when i got to the counter the woman was enthusiastically telling me "oh, we have those on 2 for 1, let me go get you another one".

She bustled off down the aisles, and came back triumphantally waving the cardboard box. Then she asks if i have a Boots card, then spends a couple of minutes explaining why i should get one, all the while i'm standing there thinking "c'mon! c'mon!"

Then i hear behind me "hello, *insert my name here*". The IT guy from work. This chemist is miles from work btw. Woman behind the counter looks from him, to me, to him, to me, to the two pregnancy tests, and smiles at the pair of us.

I can laugh about it now, as it was a while ago, but at the time i was ready to burst into tears as it felt like the final straw, that the fates were truely laughing at me.

Pythia

Never bought one (phew!).

Phototoxin

despite the fact I was 18 it was none of their business and it wasn't illegal to sell them to me.

the reason is that they can refuse you on conscientious objection. Ditto with the pill and abortificants et cetera

echosound

Never had to buy one until we actually started trying for a baby, in my mid twenties, so the first time I went to buy one I was smiling like a loon with the excitement and had no trouble from any judgemental chemists or anything, if anything the reaction was more a goofy smile of "awww!" from the woman serving me as she could see how excited I was.

Unfortunately I gave up buying tests about two years ago as infertility seems to have struck :mad:

Catari Jaguar

I got a preg test in Boots recently. Just went in and got a double pack one. No fuss no muss. They were negative. Thank fcuk.

Catari Jaguar

echosound wrote: »

Unfortunately I gave up buying tests about two years ago as infertility seems to have struck :mad:

Awh, poor chick. Sorry about that

tribulus

Three times so far. The second one was just 4 or 5 days late, no worries, I was confident there. The third one was a month later and still nothing, that was a long ten minutes waiting for her to come out of the toilet. I hope she never reads this!

who's yer one?

Phototoxin wrote: »

the reason is that they can refuse you on conscientious objection. Ditto with the pill and abortificants et cetera

i can make a stretch and understand people not selling condoms + such to the young 'uns, cos they think they're to young to be sexificating, (although they're gonna do it anyway, so why not help em be safe?) but to conscientiously object to someone finding out if they're pregnant, when the deed's been done, makes no sense. how is not selling someone a test going to undo the evil sin of fornication wafting about them?

never bought one meself \o/ (had a paranoic day or two of 'ooer' -never though id use the phrase 'yay! my period!:D')

Dudess

Thaedydal wrote: »

Right every woman who has had sex will have had a pregnancy scare and had to face going to buy a pregnancy test for the first time.

What was your first time buying a test like ?

Ireland has come a long way from the chemists being small shops where those behind the counter knew your Ma and Da and you had to ask for condoms and pregnancy tests and even if you went into town you had to face the same thing with the tutting and the inhalation of breath or in some cases being refused a home pregnancy kit cos you were too young or not married.

And lets face it when your mind is rebelling against the fact that you maybe
and your period is late the last thing you need is more stress.

My first time I was told that they were only sold to married people and spent the guts of a Saturday walking the city center and had to try 7 places before I found a place that would sell me one as they were behind the dispensing counter and a nice friendly chemist who told me that she would sell it to me as she was protestant and most catholic chemists would not despite the fact I was 18 it was none of their business and it wasn't illegal to sell them to me.

These days thankfully they can be chucked into a basket with various other things and paid at a till or bought online.

So what was your first time like ?

You were getting that crap in 1993? Holy sh1t that's bad... I was presuming it was maybe some time in the 70s or early 80s at the most but I was sure you weren't that old.

Whenever I buy anything remotely embarrassing from the chemist.
The salesperson decides to share far way too much information with me.


I'll be sending the relevant himself when any baby related issues need to be dealt with.
I really have zero interest in hearing anyones horror story!

chickenhawk

Dudess wrote: »

You were getting that crap in 1993? Holy sh1t that's bad... I was presuming it was maybe some time in the 70s or early 80s at the most but I was sure you weren't that old.

Condoms were only available here in 1992 and that was still with huge protests. I think it was virgin records that were the first ones to sell them. So it doesn't surprise me that a pregnancy test was hard to get around this time as well.

Nevyn

http://www.ifpa.ie/about/hist.html

1988 The IFPA open a counter selling condoms at a record shop in Dublin illegally.

1991
On Valentine's Day the IFPA appeal against the conviction for the illegal sale of a contraceptive. A week later Judge Hanrahan rejects the appeal and increases the fine to the maximum under the law of £500 for a first offence.

When they did become 'available' they were still hard to get, you had to go into a chemist and ask for them and but up with slut shaming comments and chemists could refuse to sell them to you.

Zaph

The Family Planning Act 1979 made it legal for doctors to prescribe condoms for legitimate family planning purposes. Condoms were actually available legally and, without a prescription, over the counter in chemists from 1985. It was only the sale of condoms in places other than chemists that was illegal until 1993.

That said, there was a huge stigma attached to walking into a chemist and buying a pack in 1985. I was working in Bank of Ireland at the time, and the social club organised a treasure hunt. I was in a car with two other guys and a girl, and one of the scavenger items we had to bring back was a newly legal, non-prescription packet of condoms. The guy who was driving parked the car outside a chemist and refused point blank to move again until the girl bought a packet of condoms. She was mortified, and although myself and the other guy volunteered, it was only when the girl finally relented and came back to the car redder than I've ever seen a person that we headed off to the next clue.

Nevyn

They may have been non prescription but the chemist could still refuse on moral grounds to sell them to anyone or to someone who is not married.

There are still chemists in the country and drs who refuse to deal in contraception.

WindSock

Zaph wrote: »

The guy who was driving parked the car outside a chemist and refused point blank to move again until the girl bought a packet of condoms. She was mortified, and although myself and the other guy volunteered, it was only when the girl finally relented and came back to the car redder than I've ever seen a person that we headed off to the next clue.

I bet she would have endured more hassle buying them than any of the guys.


I bought my first test 7 years ago, no hassle for me. So glad it came up negative as the guy I was seeing at the time wanted horrible baby names. And he was a tool.

The_Minister

Dudess wrote: »

You were getting that crap in 1993? Holy sh1t that's bad... I was presuming it was maybe some time in the 70s or early 80s at the most but I was sure you weren't that old.

You've got to remember how conservative Ireland was. In 1985 Des O'Malley (founder of the Progressive Democrats) was kicked out of Fianna Fail because he went against the whip and refused to vote down a motion aiming to liberalise contraception laws (before which he gave a kick-ass speech, and pretty much tore FFs reasons to vote against it to shreds). FF charged him with "conduct unbecoming".


On another note, do these tests expire after a while?
If not, should every woman not buy one and then be able to test without having to rush to the pharmacy and wait even longer to find out?

Dudess

The_Minister wrote: »

You've got to remember how conservative Ireland was.

Indeed I do. But it felt like things were moving on a bit by 1993. I was 15 then and sex didn't seem taboo at all. In fact 1993 feels quite recent to me (even though it was half my life ago :eek:).

In 1985 Des O'Malley (founder of the Progressive Democrats) was kicked out of Fianna Fail because he went against the whip and refused to vote down a motion aiming to liberalise contraception laws (before which he gave a kick-ass speech, and pretty much tore FFs reasons to vote against it to shreds). FF charged him with "conduct unbecoming".

Yeah my dad was a staunch supporter of the PDs - he canvassed for them religiously for years and years, and he became mates with O'Malley and Pat Cox. I really admire him for that. And yet he is fairly conservative, but he never had any time for the catholic church crap in this country.

Nevyn

Yes pregnancy tests do have a best before date on them.

The_Minister

Dudess wrote: »

Indeed I do. But it felt like things were moving on a bit by 1993. I was 15 then and sex didn't seem taboo at all. In fact 1993 feels quite recent to me (even though it was half my life ago :eek:).

Yeah my dad was a staunch supporter of the PDs - he canvassed for them religiously for years and years, and he became mates with O'Malley and Pat Cox. I really admire him for that. And yet he is fairly conservative, but he never had any time for the catholic church crap in this country.

Alot of people are personally conservative but politically liberal (and I have alot of respect for people who are big enough to think like that).
I have to say though, whenever I read the "I stand by the Republic" speech, I get a feeling of....I'm not sure what. Even today, there are few enough people who would articulate that vision of Ireland.

Thaedydal wrote: »

Yes pregnancy tests do have a best before date on them.

Thats that idea gone

Weidii

Haven't ever bought one, but I think I might have to soon

Zaph

Thaedydal wrote: »

They may have been non prescription but the chemist could still refuse on moral grounds to sell them to anyone or to someone who is not married.

Absolutely, there was no guarantee she'd succeed, especially as this was literally weeks after the prescription requirement was lifted. She did succeed in buying some, btw.

WindSock wrote: »

I bet she would have endured more hassle buying them than any of the guys.

That was the thinking behind it, it was a bit evil really. Turned out she got none at all although iirc there were a good few teams came back empty handed.

beaushalloe

yup, went to the furthest chemist in the city from where i lived, felt pretty secure, marched up to the counter where i realised my then boyfriend's sister was working behind the counter (she had started the week before) i droppped the test on the floor, made small talk (with reddened face) and proceed to buy a SLING (which were directly behind her) never so embarressed in all my life!!! more recently ive taken to buying them online!

Quality

Oh god, you have brought back memories that feel like a life time ago. The first pregnancy test I had to do was when I was 18, It was in early september 1998. My sister went and bought it for me, she was 8 years older than me. No bloody way I was going in for it.
It was positive!! But I suppose to me the fear of being pregnant than actually buying the test was worse....

Didnt have to do one again till 2005, obviously things had changed then!!

Cathmandooo

Never thank god *touch wood*. Close call once, I had a plan to go buy one with a friend the next day, I was over a month late and wasnt in a relationship, panic stations, realised that evening I didn't need to, yay.

Thank god it seems handy enough to buy them these days.

beaushalloe

beaushalloe wrote: »

yup, went to the furthest chemist in the city from where i lived, felt pretty secure, marched up to the counter where i realised my then boyfriend's sister was working behind the counter (she had started the week before) i droppped the test on the floor, made small talk (with reddened face) and proceed to buy a SLING (which were directly behind her) never so embarressed in all my life!!! more recently ive taken to buying them online!

Classic.