preview

Birth Control: Available to Teens? Essay

Decent Essays

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. Those who disagree think providing birth control promotes promiscuity and premarital sexual activity. In the article “At Issue: Birth Control Availability,” the author argues that access to birth control and other contraceptives for …show more content…

Teens having access to contraceptives would decrease the number of teens developing an STI. Contraceptives would also decrease the number of teenage pregnancies. In the article, “At Issue: Birth Control Availability,” the author states that birth control is necessary to lower the number of teen pregnancies. The author informs “Those who favor providing easy access to contraceptives say that young people who are already sexually active will not abstain from sex just because they don’t have access to birth control and will instead put themselves at risk for pregnancy” (“ProQuest”). Teens will continue to have sex, but providing contraceptives would lower the number of teen pregnancies.
Not only will birth control decrease risk for disease and teen pregnancy, it will increase the rate of teens receiving a high school diploma. Teenage girls are more at risk of dropping out if they become pregnant; however, if they had birth control, a higher quantity would not get pregnant and drop out. Saras Chung, author of “New Study Links Teen Pregnancy and Dropout, Spotlight Solutions,” asserts, “Teen pregnancy and high school dropouts are linked.” This expert opinion displays that vital consequences are linked to teen pregnancy. Chung also listed some statistics in the same article. She affirms, “One in three teen mothers earned neither a diploma nor a GED” (Chung). Some teenage mothers do not go on

Get Access