Deana Hughes: Grand Canyon Semester

 Deana Hughes in the Grand Canyon, October 2012

SAU Honors College student Deana Hughes recently posted a video on YouTube of her class trip into the Grand Canyon and down the Colorado River.

Deana is taking honors courses at Northern Arizona University as part of their Grand Canyon Semester. She is the first SAU Honors College student to participate in a semester long off campus honors program. She seems to be having entirely too much fun.

Take a look at her YouTube video and see what I mean.

Dao, Hai: Teens and Contraception

            We are living in a technological era. Nearly everything we do requires it. But what we still lack is information. In the Health Behavior News Service, Milly Dawson showed the results of the lack of information about contraceptive methods by parents. 

            Milly Dawson shows that nowadays, rates of unintended contraceptive have increased although the methods of contraception have improved more and more and the use of contraceptive has increased. Because teenagers tend not to use condoms consistently during sex, they run the risk of becoming pregnant or being infected by an STD. Imagine that a girl comes to her boyfriend’s room but they do not have any condoms or pills. The boy may promise that they will engage in oral sex, and nothing else. But “nothing else” happens, and then the girl is pregnant. That’s why although more and more contraceptive methods are available, the rates unintended pregnancies are still high. 

            However, their parents can give their children some advice about contraceptives. The influence of parents’ attitudes toward their daughters and sons is very effective. Unfortunately, parents, too, prefer condoms rather than long-acting contraceptive methods and so do doctors. The survey shows that parents accept their daughters' use of birth control pills more than they do long-acting contraceptive methods such as IUDs. Parents do not accept the long-acting methods because of societal attitudes and U.S. historical events around the Dalkon shield. They are worry about how safe such methods are when their daughters use them. 

            However, it is more dangerous when adolescents use short-acting contraceptive methods with their high failure rates. Sometimes, they forget to use them or use them properly. On the other hand, long-term contraceptives work all the time, once installed. Thus, using long-acting contraceptive methods is perfect choice for preventing being pregnant, provided they are used along with condoms in order to prevent STDs.

Mills, Taylor: Teens and Contraception

The articles mentioned that studies and surveys were conducted to show which contraceptive was more accepted by parents and sexually active teenagers. Also, the findings explained which method had more of an effect in controlling unintended pregnancy and sexual diseases. Several reasons were mentioned as to why one method was chosen over the other. In addition, clinicians gave advice on how to overcome concerns towards any method. 

There is a high number of sexually active teenagers. Charles Bankhead wrote, “42% of adolescents...have engaged in sexual intercourse.” Most use contraceptives, but it is the short-term methods that are favored over the long-term. Milly Dawson’s article mentioned that among parents involved in a phone survey about their opinions on the two methods of contraceptives rated birth control pills and condoms the highest. These are considered short-term methods; even teenagers had a similar acceptance towards the two. Dawson’s article goes on to say that when parents take their teenage daughters to health care visits, both are open to doctors giving birth control pills and condoms as the main methods. Lauren Hartman, a clinician, reasoned that parents are accepting of these practices because they are aware that their daughter or son may be sexually active but resist long-term methods because they may imply an ongoing sexual relationship.

Although short-term contraceptives have a higher usage rate, studies found that unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases were still high (Bankhead). These high percentages were found among sexually active teenagers. There are several reasons as to why short-term contraceptives and these unwanted health concerns are linked. However, none of the articles go into detail about the connection. It is an ironic situation but reasons were given as to why short term methods had a higher acceptance over long-term. In the phone survey, implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs) had the lowest acceptance rate ( Dawson). However, these are considered the most effective contraceptives. Pregnancy rates were less than 1% when females used a long-acting method (Bankhead). Members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reasoned that parents are misinformed about contraceptives such as IUDs and implants. Also, health costs and risks were considered factors as to why long-term methods were avoided (Bankhead). A board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist connected the concerns of parents with the Dalkon Shield incident. Hartman suggested that clinicians should do research on these methods and share that information with parents and teenagers (Dawson).

Ngongoni, Shamiso: Teens and Contraception

Milly Dawson in her article suggests that parents play a role in what contraceptive method their child will use. Parents who respect their child’s autonomy will be comfortable with their child getting contraceptives from a doctor. Dawson is encouraging the use of long acting contraceptives such as the contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices. She writes that ‘’effective methods are still under used’’ by teenagers. She provides statistics on which contraceptive methods parents were most comfortable with. In a survey, the birth control pills and condoms, which she believes are not effective, had the most acceptance by parents whereas implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs) where least accepted.

She assumed that parents may not approve the use of ‘longer acting’ methods because they do not recognize ‘their teens autonomy.’ Parents might associate long acting methods with ongoing sexual relationships.  The other reason maybe that parents remember the Dalkon shield, an IUD which had considerable safety problems. She concludes, however, that the risk of pregnancy outweighs that of any contraceptive method.

The second article is in full support of the use of contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices. They quote the ACOG committee on adolescent health, who wrote, ‘’these contraceptive methods have the highest rates of satisfaction and continuation.’’

The authors write that although adolescents use contraception, they do not use the most effective types. The high numbers of teenage pregnancies show that teens are not using contraception, use contraception inconsistently, and some fail to use the contraceptive correctly. Evidence also shows that women who use long acting methods of contraception are more likely to continue using it for a year vs. those who use short term contraception. The rate of unintended pregnancies is also less in women who use long term contraceptives. 

The article suggests that adolescents should have easier access to long acting contraceptives. It also explains that people may not be using long acting contraceptives because of misperceptions, high cost, a lack of access and health care’s provider concerns about safety. A study showed that without these barriers, most women would choose long acting reversible contraceptives.

The writer suggests however; that these non barrier methods should be used along with condoms to reduce risk of sexually transmitted infections. They also suggest that teenagers should be referred to public clinics. This will reduce cost and they will receive information, recommendations, suggestions and counseling regarding use of long-acting reversible contraceptives.

Shaffer, Arin: Teens and Contraception

            Today there is an increasing abundance of sexual activity in the adolescent years.  However, with this increase in teen sexual activity the chances of unwanted pregnancy increase as well. In order to avoid the unwanted pregnancies adolescents must better learn about the different types of contraceptives. Of all teens who report contraceptive use, “long-acting reversible options account for <5 12-month="12-month" 14="14" 20="20" 55="55" 86="86" a="a" about="about" account="account" all="all" also="also" among="among" are="are" awareness="awareness" barely="barely" because="because" but="but" chose="chose" concern="concern" continuation="continuation" continue="continue" contraception="contraception" contraceptive="contraceptive" contraceptives="contraceptives" determined="determined" don="don" effective="effective" even="even" every="every" for="for" is="is" iuds="iuds" know="know" little="little" long-acting="long-acting" long-term="long-term" methods="methods" most="most" of="of" one="one" out="out" program="program" rates="rates" reason="reason" s="s" short-acting="short-acting" showed="showed" span="span" statistic="statistic" study="study" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" t="t" teenagers="teenagers" teens.="teens." tenth="tenth" that="that" the="the" them.="them." this="this" to="to" use="use" used="used" using="using" versus="versus" women="women">  This fact shows that adolescents who do use the long-lasting methods are more likely to keep using that same method than if they were using short-term methods of contraception.   Lastly, “Unintended pregnancy rates were 22 times higher in women using short-acting forms of contraception. That simply shows that short term contraception is just simply not as effective long-lasting contraception (IUDs). In addition, long-term contraceptives face another challenge in getting recognition, parents.  Many parents are not aware of the benefits of long-term contraceptives and don’t approve of them either.  In a recent phone study IUDs gained only an 18% approval rate from parents (Parents Prefer).  Parents believe that the use of such contraceptives encourages a long sexual relationships or infers that one is already going on.  Another concern that parents have is that long-term contraceptives are similar to the Dalkon shield which had several “considerable safety problems”(Parents Prefer). They contend that even though an IUD may be risky it isn’t as risky as unwanted pregnancy. 

Daniel, Hauwa: Teens and Contraception

Sex education has long been an issue between parents and children. Even though some parents find it very difficult or rather unusual to talk about sex with their children, teenagers will otherwise get information from peer groups and the media. Milly Dawson stresses the importance of the parent-daughter relationship in discussions about sex education and the use of contraceptives, including birth control pills. The second author, Charles Bankhead, also discusses the significance of long-term birth control methods, other contraceptives, and the pregnancy rate in teenagers. Both authors, however, give a one-sided arguments in that and neither talks about abstinence as a birth control method.

Milly Dawson's research finds parents to be more comfortable with the use of condoms and short term birth control pills rather than with a more reliable solution, long-acting reversible contraceptives for their daughters. She sees high rate of pregnancy among adolescents who use short-acting contraceptives and believes parents can encourage the use of long-term solutions. Charles Bankhead, similarly, believes that “implants and intrauterine” provide the best protection from unwanted pregnancy among teens. He also sees the long-acting reversible contraceptives as the best solution to unwanted pregnancy. Bankhead’s statistics show that “42% of adolescents” are sexually active between the “age’s 15-19years,” and he encourages the use of “long-acting reversible methods.”

In conclusion, Milly Dawson and Charles Bankhead believe that the use of long-acting alterable contraceptive is the safest method to prevent unintended pregnancy when used with condoms to prevent STDs. They both believe that women who settle for short-acting contraceptives are in higher risk of getting pregnant compared to those with long-acting reversible contraceptives. However, the two authors present a one-sided argument on the use of long-acting contraceptives as the best form to prevent pregnancy. Neither author promotes abstinence which is the safest and most secure method of prevention. Neither encourages teenagers who want to abstinent but rather gives them the option of having a safe sex which is not healthy at a young age. In addition, exposing teenagers to the use of contraceptives can be very harmful when used excessively, and can lead to permanent barrenness or ovarian problems especially when the use starts at a very tender age.

Chandra Hamal Thakuri, Prajit: Teens and Contraception

Good health is vital to good living and wellbeing. Adolescent health is one of the vital aspects when it comes to community health. Teens face many challenges and are curious regarding sexual maturity. So, it is their parents’ responsibility to help them in their journey toward sexual maturity. 

The article points out that parents are happier when doctors offer their teen daughters birth control pills and condoms rather than more effective and long acting contraceptives. In a phone survey cited in the article parents and caregivers preferred birth control pills the most. Unintended pregnancies are high when non effective contraception is used because teens sometime do not use condoms correctly or take birth control pills regularly. As a result, parents should accept other methods and encourage their children to use them.

Short- acting contraceptive methods are favored by a majority of teenagers. However, these contraceptives have lower adherence and higher pregnancy rates compared with long- acting reversible contraceptives which have the highest effectiveness (less than 1%). More than 80% of teen pregnancies are unintended and are caused because of the failure of condoms, withdrawal, or misuse of oral contraceptives. With higher rates of satisfaction and no need for daily adherence, long-acting reversible methods are the best recommendations for all women and adolescents.

In conclusion, long-acting contraception is safe, effective, and helps reduce unintended teen pregnancies more than short-acting contraception. In addition, reports have shown that long-acting contraception is better so parents who play a vital role in teen’s life should encourage their children to use them.

Oladji, Jeannette: Teens and Contraception

            In her article, Milly Dawson was trying to convince society that people should focus on long acting contraception, such as IUDs, rather on than short-acting contraceptive methods. Not because those methods are ineffective but because she believes they don’t afford the best protection against unwanted pregnancies as do long-acting contraceptives.

            According to updated clinical opinion from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices afford the best protection against unintended pregnancy among adolescents, and the short-acting contraceptive methods, favored by the vast majority of teenagers who use contraception, have lower adherence and higher pregnancy rates compared with long-acting reversible contraceptives. According to Milly Dawson parents of teens choose short-acting methods for their girls because they believe longer acting methods are very dangerous and can cause infertility, especially IUDs. For parents, their girl's autonomy is very important, which means they are free to choose from short-acting methods and change them whenever they want rather than using long-acting methods

            To all these beliefs Milly Dawson was trying to let parents know that the risk of pregnancy is more dangerous than the risk of using any contraceptive method, including the IUD. Her advice is that people should forget about those misperceptions and use long-acting contraceptives including IUDs. All of which are more effective than condoms and birth control pills.  According to Lauren Hartman, a clinical fellow in adolescent medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, “Despite increased use of contraceptives by adolescents in the last twenty years, effective methods are still underused and too many sexually active teens do not use condoms." What she was trying to say is that even though that’s the parents' choice, those teens fail to use the methods chosen by the parents and that causes the high rate of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Her advice is that parents can help improve contraceptive use among teens, especially the IUDs which she believes are the best and long-acting contraceptive methods.

Akkari, Hamed: Teens and Contraception

Contraception, especially for teenagers, is a serious issue that must be discussed within the family in order to avoid misperceptions and blind assumptions about basic facts as soon as a teenager starts being sexually active. Studies point out that 42% of adolescents between the ages of 15 to 19 have engaged in sexual intercourse. Furthermore, unexpected pregnancies among teenagers have reached a high level in the U.S mainly due to the use of ineffective methods of contraception such as pills or condoms. Both of the articles, IUDs, Implants Best Teen Birth Control, ACOG Say, and Parents Prefer Some, Often Less-Effective, Birth Control Methods for Teens urge adolescents to use long term contraceptive for their better effectiveness.

According to a study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, parents are not willing to accept their daughter being offered long acting contraceptive methods and are more likely to accept short-term contraceptive methods. The study also affirms that the reason for such a choice is that parents might associate long acting contraception, such as IUDs, which has been proven to have a pregnancy rate of less than 1%, with an ongoing sexual relationship. In other words, parents are not comfortable with the possibility of their children having an ongoing but well protected sexual relationship through IUDs. Yet, they are indirectly accepting such a lifestyle with less effective contraceptive methods, which increases the risks of sexually transmitted diseases and an unwanted pregnancy.

Indeed it is an infringement of teenagers’ rights to interfere in their autonomy, but parents need at least to communicate to their children information about the different types of contraceptive methods and about the consequences which arise from the use of the short term ones. Bankhead stated that more than 80% of teen pregnancies are unintended, reflecting high rates of non-use, inconsistent use, and use of failure-prone contraceptive methods. Short lasting contraceptive which are considered less effective than IUDs, are in high demand by teenagers. The reason for that is mainly because they don’t require permanent use, and they are easily accessible unlike implants and intrauterine devices which are costly and hard to obtain.

            In order to enforce the use of contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices among teenagers nowadays, these methods should be easily accessible. And, along with these methods, condoms should consistently be used to protect against STDs, according to Bankhead.

Shaffer, Cullen: Teens and Contraception

            Contraceptives are an integral part of having a safe and satisfying sexual life. Every woman needs to find the ideal contraceptive to fulfill her needs. The most effective contraceptives are the ones which work over the long term. However, a small minority, only “5% of use among teens” utilize such contraception techniques (IUDs). The ignorance of the effectiveness of the long term contraceptives is somewhat alarming and definitely correlates positively to the number of unplanned pregnancies in America. The proportion of women younger than 20 that use long term contraceptives is extremely low, partially due to the fact that parents won't acquire the long term contraception for their daughters because that would indicated that their daughters engage will engage in sexual intercourse for that long and often - “with an ongoing sexual relationship” (Parents Prefer Some). Parents are also not fond of IUDs because in the past some such as the “Dalkon shield… marketed IUD with considerable safety problems” frequently presented dire health consequences to the unlucky users of the product (Parents Prefer Some). Better contraceptive methods would be more readily available to adolescent girls if “a parent respects their daughter’s autonomy, the more likely that a parent is to accept a doctor offering their daughter any type of contraceptive (Parents Prefer Some).  

            Teen pregnancies are becoming an issue and are also helping to fuel the controversial abortion debate. It has been reported that “more than 80% of teen pregnancies are unintended.” This is caused not only by the weaker effectiveness of the short term contraceptives, but also by not utilizing long term contraceptives. More women should use the IUD method because the failure rate is “less than one percent” which is significantly lower than the failure rate of other contraceptive methods (Parental Acceptability). IUDs are the safest method overall because “ of high rates of inconsistent use and…. Use of failure prone contraceptive methods”. IUDs eliminate unnecessary risks and allow for a safer sexual lifestyle. In short, IUDs would more than eliminate teen pregnancies while also protecting the health of females and reduce number of circumstances that would result in abortion.

White, Jerilyn: Teens and Contraception

                  Sexually active teens are often not appropriately informed about sexual health. Therefore, they may make erroneous sexual decisions. Dawson and Bankhead clearly conveyed this message in their articles. Parents of teens are usually comfortable with providing their teen daughters with contraceptives, especially short-term ones such as birth control pills, the shot, the patch, and condoms. Some would say that such contraceptive methods are beneficial and practical, but they are not effective. Studies show that teens who use short-term contraceptive are more likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases and infections, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and unplanned pregnancies. So why not use long-term reversible contraceptives? Although long-term reversible contraceptive methods (for example; inter uterine devices [IUDs]) are more effective, many teens and parents of teens believe that they bring up issues such as confidentiality, price, and safety. Only 4.5% of teens use long-term reversible contraceptives. The authors seem concerned about how misinformed parents and teens are. Teens may not know about the effect of their choices of contraceptives because they are not properly informed. Parents play a vital role in informing their teen children about sexual health. If teens are provided with wrong information they may make the wrong decisions. Also, if parents are educated in sexual health they can make their teens feel more comfortable. Comfort t is also important when making decisions about this sensitive subject. Parents and teen stray from long-term reversible contraceptive because of past stories about the Dalkon Shield. If more parents get involved in their teen’s sexual lives by teaching them about contraceptives, taking them to sexual education classes and clinics, then pregnancy and sexual transmitted diseases among teens will certainly decrease and the use of long-term reversible contraceptives might just increase.

Cecil, Allie: Teens and Contraception

Have you realized how much more common it is to hear someone ages 15-19 are becoming pregnant lately then a few years ago? So why not use a contraceptive, especially the most effective contraceptive? Some contraceptives are more actually effective than others based on studies. They show that long-term contraceptives work better than short-term contraceptives, but oddly enough, parents of teens actually prefer their child to use short-term contraceptives.

According to the Journal of Adolescent Health by Milly Dawson, parents are more accepting for their daughters to take a short-term contraceptive offered at the doctor’s office, such as birth control pills. According to a phone survey of 261 parents of teens they preferred their daughter to use “birth control (59 percent), condoms (51 percent), injectable contraceptives (46 percent), emergency contraception, also known as the morning-after pill (45 percent), birth control patches (42 percent), implants (32 percent) and intrauterine devices or IUDs (18 percent).  Teens also prefer the easier, short-term contraceptives as well” (Dawson).

Teenage pregnancies are mostly the result of not using contraceptives or by misusing them. “An update to an opinion issued in 2007 the statement points out that 42% of adolescents ages 15 to 19 have engaged in sexual intercourse," (Bankhead). He also states that teenagers are responsible for 20% of unintended pregnancies in the United States. And that 80% are unintended. Also, short -term contraceptives have a 22% higher rate of pregnancy than long-term contraceptives.

Teens who choose to participate in sexual intercourse need to be more educated on the contraceptives they are choosing. So should their parents. Although the short-term contraceptive is easier and may seem faster, it is a lot easier to become pregnant using these short-term contraceptives rather than using a long-term contraceptive.

Lillard, Kelsey: Teens and Contraception

            In the articles Parents Prefer Some, Often Less-Effective, Birth Control Methods for Teens by Milly Dawson and IUDs, Implants Best Teen Birth Control, ACOG Says

by Charles Bankhead the authors argued that both teens and their parents prefer less effective birth control methods, when much better options are available. But why? Parents did not want their child to become pregnant but they didn't like the thought of their child in an ongoing sexual relationship.  “Among U.S. adolescents, rates of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections remain high,” said lead author Lauren Hartman, M.D. In American society, the small percentage of people using longer-acting birth control methods could be explained by society's view of medicine in general and the memory of the Dalkon shield that posed considerable safety problems in women. To help prevent more unwanted pregnancies, which account for 80% of teenage pregnancies, Bankhead presents the idea of offering longer-acting birth control methods in public clinics or through referrals, more teenagers will opt to try these highly effective methods. Unintended pregnancy rates were a staggering 22 times higher with short-acting methods, such as condoms and oral contraception. Why would people not give the IUD's and other long-lasting methods a chance? When phone surveys were done, caregivers still showed favoritism toward birth control pills (with 59% accepting it) while IUDs and implants were viewed as least acceptable. A study of contraceptive practices among 4,167 women aged 15 to 45 showed 12-month continuation rates of 86% for long-acting methods vs. 55% for short-acting methods.

             I believe the longer IUDs and implants are around, the more acceptable they will become. Time changes things, birth control pills were originally labeled as taboo, but over time many women came to feel differently, so much so that today parents prefer it most for their children.

Adams, George: Teens and Contraception

Sexual health and different kinds of contraception are a constant source of discussion among adolescents, other family members, and experienced doctors in the field.  The two articles both discuss short-term and long-term contraceptive methods and how long-term contraceptive methods are much more effective than short-term methods.

The first talks about how sexually active teens do not use contraception to block the transmission of STDs and how effective uses of contraception are still underused.  Later it reports on a survey of parents of daughters aged 12 to 17 and which method of contraception their daughter was using.  The majority of parents said they would rather have their daughter use short-term contraceptive methods, such as the pill and condoms, rather than long-term methods such as implants and IUDs.  Furthermore, parents may not be keen on the idea of their daughter using long-term methods as this may lead to a continuous sexual relationship whereas short-term methods can be used easily when the chance of a sexual interaction occurs.  Parents were also wary of IUDs after the Dalkon Shield problem where the IUD was marketed aggressively even though it had safety problems.

The second article talks about how contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices provide the best protection from unwanted pregnancies and that the majority of adolescents still use short-acting methods of contraception when engaging in sexual intercourse.  Discussion about the effectiveness of long-term contraception follows this and its protection rate of less than 1% per year.  It states that 80% of teen pregnancies are unplanned and this is reflective of the use of failure-prone contraceptive methods.  Then it recommends that healthcare providers should advise sexually active teens to use contraception to decrease the risk of transmission of STDs.  It ends by listing the reasons why adolescents aren’t using long-term contraception methods.  Those are lack of familiarity, expense and lack of access.  The author suggested approaching a public clinic in order to expand access to these methods.  The clinic would also provide additional information on the methods and could answer any questions adolescents had about such methods.

Canada, Trent: Teens and Contraception

                  According to studies, today’s teens are more likely to have unprotected intercourse. Are teens being offered the right contraception to accommodate these behaviors? Most of the time the answer is no because when teens, mostly females, enter a physician’s office for a check-up they are offered both condoms and birth control. These are both effective and can be used for certain prevention, but are they more effective than long lasting conctraception is the question.  In most cases the IUDs are what a teen should be offered when approaching a relationship that will involve intercourse.

                  Condoms and birth control pills are probably one of the most common contraception methods and the most likely fail during intercourse. When parents were studied on their acceptance of contraception methods their results showed that they preferred some the less effective methods like birth control pills and condoms over IUDs. Condoms are less effective due the risk of breaking and the likelihood of leakage, and birth control pills follow the failure rate of condoms in the sense that the method must be taken daily to work and sometimes be forgotten.  On the other hand IUDs are long lasting birth control methods that in installed within the uterus that can actually prevent unwanted pregnancy, but not STIs that condoms can prevent.

                  Even though IUDs are more effective they are not widely accepted. IUDs are the least accepted by parents, and almost never recommended by doctors. That IUDs are last accepted by parents is shown in studies because of lack of knowledge or fear of the uncertain safety issues. Also IUDs are not recommended by doctors regularly due to the insurance difficulties, price, and, again, safety issues.

                  Teens throughout the world are going to experiment with sexual behaviors, but they will not always use the right contraception methods. It is shown in studies that the contraception methods widely used are not the most accepted and that the ones that show more effectiveness are not used. This can only conclude that teens would benefit more from using IUDs than by using contraception methods that could proven ineffective in certain situations.

O'Hara, Casey: Teens and Contraception

Over the last few decades pregnancy rates especially among teens have been increasing. As these numbers continue to rise, so has the want for contraceptives. Users of these contraceptives need to be informed, and the contraceptives need to be convenient and also effective.

One of the best ways to protect against unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases is to stay informed. Although sex is a touchy subject for many parents, those who do talk to their children about it are more likely to not end up with a “sperm infection.” Although parents may not wish to know every small detail of their teen’s sexual relationship, an informed parent is better than one who knows nothing. Parents hold an influence over a teen’s accessibility to contraception. Parents usually hold control over a teen’s income, mobility, and accessibility to people, places, and things. Parents are more likely to help provide contraception for their teens if properly informed. After all, one cannot protect against something unknown. In a study, parents were asked if they would provide contraception for their teens. The majority of these said they would help provide various methods of contraception. Therefore, if teens and parents would break through the “awkward” barrier of the sex talk, more contraception could be properly used and the spiking teen pregnancy rate may soon decrease.

Once the ground for contraceptive use is established, it is up to the people to decide which to use. Contraceptives actually used, compared to those more recommended by specialists, differ. Specialists tend to recommend Intrauterine Devices (IUDs) for the most effective protection. However, people choose other, easier options for multiple reasons. For one, IUDs are a long-lasting contraceptive. This is not popular among parents, as a long-term contraceptive brings to mind a long-term sexual relationship; and many parents do not want to think of their children in such a situation. Second, IUDs are much more expensive than a single-use contraceptive, such as a condom. Users also need to pay for insurance, which adds to the cost of the device. This drives those of a lower-income because, although they are the ones who are most frivolous in sexual experimentation, they cannot afford the protection with the lowest failure rate. Lastly, IUDs carry with them the reputation for infection something no one wants.

Fondren, Michael: Teens and Contraception

                  There are many issues regarding the use of contraceptives. Here are two articles that I will analyze regarding them.

            The first article by Milly Dawson, titled "Parents Prefer Some, Often Less-Effective, Birth Control Methods for Teens." First talks about how if more parents are accepting of their daughter's autonomy, they are more willing to see a doctor for birth control pills and condoms. The author cites Lauren Hartman from the Journal of Adolescent Health.  She writes that teen pregnancy and STDs are still very high because better contraceptives aren’t used. She found that 59% of parents/guardians favored birth controls, 51% condoms, 46% injections, 45% morning-after pills, 42% patches, and 32% implants. IUDs were the lowest accepted (18%) in the study. Researchers surmised that long term contraceptives were not as popular because parents aren’t in favor of on-going sexual relationships. Cori Baill, M.D., believes these results may relate to the Dalkon shield IUD incidents in the past. Baill believes parents should notice that the risks of pregnancy outweigh those of contraceptives.

            The next article by Charles Bankhead, titled "IUDs, Implants Best Teen Birth Control, ACOG Says.” Starts off with the ACOG stating that implants and intrauterine devices have the best protection against pregnancy. It states that teens who use short term contraceptives are at more risk of becoming pregnant than those who use long term ones.  ACOG states that short term contraceptives are too weak, leading to unexpected pregnancies in the long run. Short term contraceptives results in 80% of unintentional teen pregnancies, 20% of these are in the U.S. One study of women 15 to 45, some using short-term, others using long-term contraceptives. Found that continuation was higher as of the long-term contraceptives. Unexpected pregnancies were 22 times worse with short-term contraceptives. Both IUDs and implant contraceptives were viewed favorably in this study. ACOG suggests that doctors recommend these to better prevent HIVs and STDs. However, ACOG acknowledges that these types are unfamiliar to adolescents, expensive, not as available, and come with their own health concerns. So, they recommend that public clinics deal with these problems.

            The use of contraceptives is very important issue to discuss. These are just a little information people should know before they do.

 

Plunk, Ashley: Teens and Contraception

In both articles, the authors were trying to convey a different, yet similar, message. While both were about the use of birth control, they had two separate views on the subject. The first author wrote about parents' preference of certain types of birth control that are not the most effective, while the second author chose to write about how IUDs are the best type of birth control.

    The first article hits one main point, that parents are more accepting of birth control and condoms being given to their daughters during doctor visits rather than them being offered a more effective contraceptive method like IUDs or implants. Out of 261 parents polled, only 18% of them said they would allow their daughters to use IUDs. The more parents are able to recognize their teens’ freedom, the more accepting they are of what type of birth control they use. The more educated parents become on the subject of birth control, the more likely they are to allow their teenage daughters to be provided with the best type of birth control to help lower teen pregnancy rates.

    The second article argues that IUDs and implants are the best form of teen birth control. According to an updated clinical opinion from the ACOG, IUDs are the best protection against unintended pregnancy among adolescents. Even though most teenagers prefer short-acting methods such as the pill or condoms, they have much lower adherence and higher pregnancy rates. Long-acting reversible options account for less than five percent of all birth control use. In 2007, it was estimated that 42% of adolescents aged 15 to 19 were sexually active. Out of all of those, the most effective method of birth control is rarely chosen. Gynecologists are now recommending long-acting reversible contraceptive methods and educating teens and their parents on their effectiveness. One of the biggest things the author put in this article was that clinics have all of this information available and to just go ask questions if you have them.

    Both authors made good, effective points in their articles. Teens and their parents definitely need to be better educated on the subject of birth control and what kind is the best for their child. With teen pregnancy rates increasing every year, this kind of information needs to be out in the open and available for everybody.

Collins, Auttumn: Teens and Contraception

Today more teens are becoming sexually active at younger ages, their parents are not allowing them to have the best forms of protection on the market. Parents of most teenage girls are willing to accept their daughters being offered the birth control pill and condoms rather than some more long term contraceptive method.

 Even though condoms do run the greatest protection against some sexually transmitted disease, they are not always the best at preventing an unplanned pregnancy. Teenagers run a higher risk of unintended pregnancy and may benefit from increased access to long-acting reversible contraceptive methods. Most studies have shown that an intrauterine devices or IUD is the most effective form of long-lasting contraceptive method when it comes to preventing pregnancies, and are also reversible. However, most parents tend to shy away from these kinds of methods because they believe that it will lead to long term sexual relationships.

Because nearly half of all teens are involved in sexual activities, they should be given a choice whether or not to get something longer-lasting. Nearly all of the unintended teen pregnancies come from either a misuse or a lack thereof the pill, condom, or some other form of contraception. This proves that a teenager is not always going to remember to take a pill or wear a condom. Also, even though they may be on the pill, they are more likely to get pregnant rather than someone who has a longer lasting contraceptive. Sometimes, however, teens do not go for those because they think it is too costly, but they have not been informed about going to their local clinic or that their insurance may cover some of the costs.

Therefore, although parents may not want their daughters to have an IUD, they should want them to be safe and protected at all times. Inform your children about everything that is out there, even if you may not agree with it because it may protect them in the future.

Osborne, Ashley: Teens and Contraception

            Although IUDS and implants are longer lasting and have a higher pregnancy prevention rate teenagers are more willing to use temporary, less effective contraceptive methods such as condoms and birth control pills. The articles, “Health Behavior News Service” by Milly Dawson and “IUDS, Implants Best Birth Control, ACOG Says” by Charles Bankhead address possible reasons concerning this issue.
                  One justification is that parents seem to prefer the temporary methods. Dawson states that parents are more willing to allow their daughters to use birth control pills and condoms rather than longer term, more effective contraception. Other studies show that the more accepting parents are of their teenager’s independence, the more open minded they are about using efficient, long lasting prevention. The parents most likely associate the long acting birth control with an ongoing sexual relationship and therefore prefer contraception to be short and temporary. They also could be concerned about the safety issues related to long acting methods.
            According Bankhead, almost half of all teenagers from age fifteen to nineteen have had sex, and only 4.5% of women of that age group chose long-term contraception. It also mentions that, “teenagers account for 20% of all unintended pregnancies in the U.S.” He hints how alarming it is that so many teen pregnancies occur but could have been avoided. Again, the article notes that condoms and birth control pills are the most preferred methods of prevention although they are among the least effective. The article states, "With top-tier effectiveness, high rates of satisfaction, and no need for daily adherence, long-acting reversible contraceptive methods should be first-line recommendations for all women and adolescents.” It is obvious that he is in favor of increasing awareness of the less used forms of birth control and wants to educate the public. But why haven’t we all heard of this before? It is simply because some of the disadvantages are the high cost, the lack of availability and familiarity, and of course, the safety concerns.
            Overall, the reasons for the most efficient form of contraception being the least used is parental influence, price, big safety issues and, most of all, the lack of knowledge on the subject.

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.

                 

Grier, Kelsey: Teens and Contraception

The article by Misty Dawson, titled “Parents Prefer Some, Often Less-Effective, Birth Control Methods for Teens,” is all about parent’s preferences on teen birth control. It states that many parents prefer their daughters to use birth control pills and condoms over IUDs. There are a few reasons parents may want their teen daughters to use birth control pills or condoms, one reason being the IUDs have a bad history in the United States. IUDs caused the death of many women and permanent damage to others including infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease. Another reason parents may want their daughters to not use IUDs is that they view it as a long term contraceptive measure and worry about what effect it will have on their daughter’s choice later in life, such as having children. The article also explains that there are many other more effective contraceptive devices available, such as implants. These other contraceptives last for a substantial period of time and dramatically reduce unplanned pregnancies.

          The next article is written by Charles Bankhead, titled “IUDs, Implants Best Teen Birth Control, ACOG Says,” is about the effectiveness of IUDs. The article explores the attitude toward long term contraceptives. More women actually prefer long term contraceptives, not to mention that these options are more effective than the short term choices. Women tend to like long term contraceptive choices, because they are reversible and don’t have to be used every day.

          Both articles share the opinion that IUDs and other long-term contraceptives are a beneficial option and that these choices can lower unintended pregnancies. A contrast between the two articles does exist, the first article by Misty Dawson explores the attitudes of parents towards long term contraceptives and the second article explores the attitudes of women towards long term contraceptives. The first article makes it clear that parents are resistant to allow their daughters to use long term contraceptives. The second article shows that women tend to prefer long term contraceptives, mainly due to lower unintended pregnancies. Even with these differences both article share the view that IUD’s and other long term contraceptives are something women should look into.