Caitlin Rathke
Mrs. LaChance
Honors English 3
20 December 2017
In our society today, the topic of birth control and other contraceptives for teens is a stirring debate. Teens are more promiscuous and sexually active than ever before; as early as middle school, we are seeing more teenage pregnancies, STD’s, and abortions than ever. Teenagers are not comfortable discussing their sexual activity with their parents and as a result they are seeking out other ways to gain access to birth control and other forms of contraceptives without parental consent. Access to birth control reduces the number of unintended teenage pregnancies and abortions each year, and access to birth control also fuels teenage promiscuity and encourages sex outside of marriage.
Birth control has prevented many unwanted teen pregnancies, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen births in the United States reached a historic low in 2015, which can be explained in large part by an increased use of contraception among young people” (Gebelhoff, Robert). As of right now, women have to get a prescription to get oral contraceptives from their doctor. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, this movement to make access to these contraceptives is supported by them. Although, teenagers are more likely to use birth control pills compared to using condoms, they are not being influenced by their sexual or emotional pressures. This article also says, the public-health benefits from
these oral contraceptives should by now justify giving women -- particularly young women -- more access to these drugs (Gebelhoff, Robert).
Condoms should be given to middle schoolers because this access does not encourage them to have more sex at a younger age, it makes them more aware. Peaking in the early 1990s, teen pregnancy rates have declined 51 percent and teen births are down 61 percent, said Bill Albert of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies. Many schools say that their kids participated in surveys to see if they have been sexually active during their middle school years. In the article by Larsen-Fleming, it pointed out that 8.5 percent of Oakland’s Unified seventh-graders
In truth, contraceptive access will not increase the rates of teen sex, according to a 2017 paper co-authored by five John Hopkins doctors and pediatricians (Gebelhoff 7). The pamphlet used to help teens decide if they are ready should be viewed as a good thing because it gives students reasons not to proceed (Culp-Ressler 4). Additionally, John Hopkins says, teenagers on the pill or other hormonal birth control options are more likely to be protected from pregnancy than those who use condoms because the pill has a lower rate of failure and is not influenced by pressures in the moment (Gebelhoff 8). Hormonal birth control is more effective at preventing pregnancy, but it would be impossible for most teen girls with reluctant parents to obtain if states require parental permission due to the scarcity of clinics and lack of over the counter
Teenagers will still be able to choose whether or not they want to protect themselves from pregnancy if their parents are not there for them. In the other hand some individuals think that having birth control available over the counter will cause individuals to have more sex and some women are not responsible enough to take the pill everyday at the same time. Some may argue that providing birth control over the counter can cause woman and teenage girls to have more sex than they were before and sime may question if women are responsible enough, it should be sold over the counter because it will reduce the number of abortions and pregnancies by allowing these women to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies.
I am in favor of contraception being made available to teenagers because it reduces the risk of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted Diseases. According to the CDC or Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2013 a survey was conducted for U.S. high school students. “47% had ever had sexual intercourse”, 34% had sexual intercourse during the previous 3 months, and, of these 41% did NOT use a condom the last time they had sex”. Results like these are not new to the generation of today. I am a 21-year-old mother and when I was in high school I heard stories every single day about these males and females sexual experiences. The CDC states “approximately 273,000 babies were born to teen girls aged 15-19 years in 2013.”
Thesis statement: In order to explain why contraceptives are becoming such a necessity in schools today, I will share how teen parenthood is being glorified, reasons for such an increase in teenage pregnancies, and how effective distributing contraceptives would be.
Teen girls between the ages of 15 and 18 should be able to receive birth control and contraceptive without the consent of their parents because most believe that’s a good mature age. Birth control is a crucial factor in preventing pregnancies. Birth control motivates young females to be responsible and have knowledge about their sexual health and also have control on their general health. After interviewing
Did you know that more than half of all teens feel uncomfortable talking to their parents about sex? Allowing teens to access birth control has always been a controversial subject for society, especially when it speaks of parents and whether they should be involved in the decision or not. Is it ethical? Does it go against various religions? Will it really make the pregnancy rate go down? Is it really the teenagers choice? Does it take away from the parents the ability to control their children? So many questions which can’t be answered unless we try it.
“Colorado’s teen birth rate fell from 37 births per 1,000 teens, ages 15-19, in 2009 to 22 births in 2013.” (Draper, 2014, para. 7) is a given fact that birth control contraception’s are changing teenage girls’ lives for the better. Birth control changes many young teenage girls’ lives for the better and should be available to all teenage girls throughout the United States. Teenage girls have a right to more programs that help educate them on birth control. Teenage girls have a right to be protected from unplanned pregnancies. Teenage girls have a right to have authority over their decisions as minority expanded. Teenage girls have a right to be comfortable with taking birth control. Teenagers should be encouraged to their rights by taking birth control.
Of all the many controversies that have affected the United States in the past decades, birth control has been one of the more important topics. Some popular birth control methods are the female and male condoms, and the birth control pill. Even though both of these help protect against pregnancy and the female and the male condoms help protect against HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STD). This raises the question, should teenagers be allowed to receive birth control methods without their
While some speakers on the issue argue their side with the perspective of the students and teens in mind others focus on the parents and how their perspectives relate to the issue. Helium.com presently has a poll and debate occurring that allows the public to review multiple arguments from both sides of the debate, and then vote “Yes” or “No” on the issue of teens receiving birth control at school. Jeannie Kerns, a mother of seven children, says that it’s in the best interest of the teen, and their parents, to allow them to have the option to decide for themselves if they require “the pill”. She supports her argument by informing the reader, no matter how strongly parents push for their children to abstain from sex they’ll most likely engage in it anyway. She closes her argument by asking why parents wouldn’t
Seven hundred fifty thousand teenagers, ages fifteen to nineteen, become pregnant each year (“Facts”). Teenage birth specialists have often debated whether or not teenagers should have access to birth control and other contraceptives. Although some people think teenagers having birth control will promote promiscuity, birth control should be accessible to teens because they will put themselves at a higher risk for disease and pregnancy without it, and more teenage girls would get a high school diploma with it.
Birth control, also known as contraception and fertility control, is a method or device used to prevent pregnancy. It is also an effective way to help women reduce acne, make periods regular, and easing menstrual cramps. The ones who are less informed about sex or birth control are teenagers, who usually have to deal with consequences and pay a big price for that. That’s way it is very important to inform our society, especially teenagers about sex, sexual transmitted diseases, birth control and more. A famous quote by Sun Tzu says, “If you know the enemy and yourself, you will never fear the result of hundred battles”. Not knowing the consequences and not being informed may lead to many problems. In our case, a teenager who was not informed about sex, condoms, birth control may end up pregnant or with sexual transmitted disease.
“Most people, almost everyone knows of a teenage mom. Teen pregnancy rates are growing, and we need to bring awareness to that.” There are many statistics when it comes to teen pregnancy and teens using birth control. Many people fight that teenagers have to have their parents with them to receive birth control, because it takes away their control over their teenager. Many teenagers find it hard to talk to their parents when it comes to birth control. Teenagers should be able to get birth control without parental consent.
Birth control is defined as the act of preventing pregnancy. It comes in many forms and has been around since ancient times, only, it wasn’t until 1960, when women were given greater control over their body when the first birth control pill was approved by the US Food & Drug Administration to be sold. Even though birth control is a proven method for preventing sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy, some parents struggle with moral and ethical implications surrounding the issue. All may sound well, but there has been controversy over whether or not teens should have access to not just birth control, but more specifically, the contraceptive oral pill. Or do teen-agers have the right to obtain birth control without the knowledge - and possible disapproval - of their parents? Furthermore, with a high birth rate in a rapidly growing population, social problems will lead to social crises and explosion. Birth control not only gives teen girls the right to their own body, but has many benefits regarding pregnancy prevention and their health.
If at-risk teens are going to make the conscious decision to be sexually active, then there needs to be open an honest conversation about safe sex and pregnancy prevention. All too often conversations about safe sex practices seem taboo and are glossed over or avoided. Health educators need to hit this head on to help mitigate this health behavior. The benefit of contraceptive uses and the impact on teenage pregnancy needs to be addressed. During a five year period starting in 2008, long-acting contraception was given to teenage girls in a
Over the last decade, the percentage of U.S. high school students who report having sexual intercourse has declined (Henshaw, 2003). Promisingly, the percent of U.S. teens surveyed also stated an increase in contraceptive use. Despite these positive trends, the United States still has one of the highest levels of teen pregnancy among developed countries and accounts for more than four million teens contracting sexually transmitted infections each year!