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.
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