Shaw, Ehvan: Teens and Contraception

                  The topic of contraceptives is a touchy subject, especially when the conversation takes place between a parent and daughter. Because of this lack in communication, these preventative methods often go unused. Teenagers are responsible for 20% percent of the unintended pregnancies in America according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists or ACOG. Because 42% of teenagers from the ages of 15 to 19 have had sex, this topic needs to be discussed.

                  The starting point in this discussion is getting parents comfortable with the fact that their daughters are maturing and accepting the help from clinicians when it comes to choosing the right type of birth control for their girls. The more that parents accept the development of their teenagers the more likely they will be accepting of doctors offering contraceptive options, according to a study done in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

                  But what is the best method of birth control? In the opinion of an ACOG member, long-acting, reversible contraceptives, such as implants and intrauterine devices, are top-notch based on their effectiveness. Pregnancy rates with said contraceptives are less than 1% per year when used properly. Though sexually active teens use contraceptives, they rarely use the most effective ones. In the order of preference when it came to choosing a birth control method, the birth control pills were on top, with a 59% acceptance rate. Trailing the pills were condoms at 51%, injectable contraceptives at 46% emergency contraceptives (morning after pill) at 45%, patches at 42%, implants at 32%, and IUDs at 18%. A study done by the ACOG included 4,167 women ages 15 to 45 and “showed 12 month continuation rates of 86% for long-acting methods versus 55% for short-acting methods of contraception”.⁶ Still, most teenagers would rather use the pill, condoms or the ‘pull-out’ methods instead. This preference could also be due to the parent’s distrust of IUDs and the cost of such contraceptives.