Elder, Kandis: Teens and Contraceptives

Should parents promote something less-effective in respect of their daughter’s wishes, or something that is guaranteed to work but sacrifices a teen girl’s right to make her own decisions? The article, “Parents Prefer Some, Often Less-Effective, Birth Control Methods for Teens”, concerns parents of teen girls and the various birth control methods available to their daughters. It’s well known that teens are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. In the article Dr. Lauren Hartman states, “Among U.S. adolescents, rates of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections remain high… effective methods are still underused and too many sexually active teens do not use condoms to block transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).” The study shows that parents of teen girls are more likely to accept birth control pills and condoms as a suitable contraception rather than long-acting methods. This is likely because the parents wish to respect their teen daughter’s free-will and independence.

On the other hand, the article “IUDs, Implants Best Teen Birth Control, ACOG Says” says that those long-term contraceptive methods may be the best choice in protection against unintended pregnancies. "Long-acting reversible methods are top-tier contraceptives based on effectiveness, with pregnancy rates of less than 1% per year for perfect use and typical use," expresses the ACOG Committee on Adolescent Health Care.  Unintended pregnancy rates in girls using short-term contraception such as birth control pills and condoms, the same short term contraception that parents prefer, are 22 times higher than long-term forms. The ACOG Committee is attempting to make long-term forms of contraception more acceptable and available to young girls, as they have been proven to be more efficient contraception methods. Regardless of whether a young woman may choose to use long-term or short-term forms, it is important to take proper action to prevent unwanted conception or STDs.