Contraceptives and Misconceptions
There are many serious issues facing the U.S. today that require the rethinking of our problem-solving methods. In many situations, we may let our emotions interfere with our interpretations of the facts. When a question of morals is involved, we often focus on what we want and not on what we've got. One of the most complicated and emotional issues today is the subject of making contraceptives available to teenagers. Can it be that adult misconceptions are causing teenage conceptions?
The statistics on teen sex are staggering. According to Mrs. Seth, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood, "Eighty-five percent of high school students, by the time they reach the twelfth grade, are
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If children don't have sex, they don't need protection. If they do have sex, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases shouldn't be a price they have to pay for the attitudes of adults who don't approve. Unfortunately, teenagers can and do have sex without parental approval. The truth becomes apparent when a teen becomes a parent.
Parents try to be aware of what their children are doing; however, it is a misconception to think that sexual activity can be controlled at all times. Our society, not biology, declares that teens are not supposed to engage in sex. Teenagers are designed by nature to have sex, are possessed of all the necessary equipment to do so, and have the mental capabilities to hide such behavior from adults. The sex drive is not caused by teachers, contraceptives, or the media. Although well-meant, the notion that parental warnings can make sex less appealing is arrogant and foolish. Teenagers are having sex without permission, and the goal must be to minimize the damage, not look for someone to blame. As adults struggle with controlling the actions of their children, they should protect them at the same time. If children are forbidden to have sex, it is unlikely that they will discuss sexual problems with the very person who told them it is not permissible. There must be options available to them, such as sex education
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
Over the counter birth control pills have been a topic of discussion for many women. Some might say it would pose many risks such as not receiving medical checkups and not knowing the side effects of birth control pills. Others may see it as a helpful to women because of the convenience of accessing the pills and not having to take time to schedule appointments. Additionally, due to health care and insurance policies some women might not have an easy access to birth control pills but the cost should not be a factor. Although over the counter birth control would allow an easier access for women, there are reasons why a doctor’s visit and a prescription are required to receive birth control pills.
Birth control is the practice of preventing unwanted pregnancies, especially by use of contraception. It also can be define as control of children or offspring born especially by preventing the frequency of conception. As there are many type of birth control method including hormonal method, barrier method, intrauterine device, natural method and emergency contraception. For hormonal birth control method is split into two types. The first one is combined contraceptive pills that contain two hormone (estrogen and progestin ) to prevent the pregnancy happening. As the function for combined contraceptive pills is to stop the ovum release and make the mucous of cervix become thick so it can stop the movement of sperm cells. The advantages for
Birth control has been the topic of discussion lately. Individuals have been debating if birth control should be able to be received over the counter. That is up to the Food and Drug Administration because they are the ones who have to approve or disapprove. Drug companies and law makers should work together to change the rules and allow woman and teenage girls to have more easily acces to acquire birth control.
Oral contraceptive has been a controversial topic for years. Oral contraceptives are a common form of birth control. Birth control is used to prevent pregnancy by blocking a male’s sperm from fertilizing a female’s egg. Women take birth control to prevent pregnancy. Also, teen women can prevent unwanted pregnancies by having access to over the counter birth control pills. Birth control pills should be available without a prescription.
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.
Parents should be supportive to the child no matter what the situation can be or how hard it is to understand. The guardians of the minor have the right to know where they go and with whom they spend time with. This does not necessarily mean they can decide when their child should be ready to be sexually active. Regardless, it is going to occur when they feel that the moment is right. Birth control is not only valuable in protecting young teens getting pregnant, but also has its health advantages. To add to that, the child may want to begin taking birth control before they do so, but it becomes a very uncomfortable and awkward topic for a child to discuss with their parents. There are many unsupportive parents that become sensitive to this topic, and may deny birth control to their daughters. In other words, birth control should be available to teenage girls without parental consent.
The Center for Disease Control conducted a study on contraceptive use; their findings concluded “four out of five women have used birth control pills” during one point of their lives (Basset). Birth control pills have been around for over six decades, and their popularity has significantly increased during the past decade. Thousands of sexually-active women are turning to birth control pills as a way to prevent unplanned pregnancy, regulate periods, and to control acne. Nonetheless, birth control pills are synthetic hormones that influence the female body in severe ways. In fact, doctors and media are not presenting the menaces of consuming birth control pills in women; instead, they disguise the risks with commercials of synchronized
In the last decade or so, however, the growing awareness of the dangers of AIDS does appear to have contributed to a decline in the rates of sexual intercourse among teens. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that between 1991 and 2005 the percentage of teenagers who are sexually active dropped from 57.4 percent to 46.3 percent among males and from 50.8 percent to 44.9 percent among females. The rates of pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted disease among teens have actually dropped even faster than the rate of sexual activity. So it appears that, in addition to postponing sex, teens are also becoming more responsible in their sexual activities. For example, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 87.5 percent of teens were either abstinent or used condoms. Of course, that means that 12.5 percent of teens were still having unprotected sex, but that is a significant improvement over past decades. Similarly, although the rate of teen pregnancy has declined, more than 11 percent of the babies born in the United States
Did you know about 1 million teens in the United States become pregnant every year? 75% of these teen pregnancies are unplanned. Some states do not allow teens without parental consent to have birth control increasing our teen pregnancy rates and STD’s. Many teens because of many different situations are not able to get parental consent for birth control.Teens in America should be able to get birth control with or without parental consent to lower risks for STDs teen pregnancies.
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
According to a poll done in 2006 that recorded the “Adult and teen preferences for type of sex education needed,” 14% percent of the adults interviewed thought that teens should get more information about abstinence, 8% that they should get more information about birth control, 73% that they should get more information about both abstinence and birth control or protection, 4% didn’t know, and 1% refused to answer. For teens (12-19), 7% percent thought that they should learn more about abstinence, 9% that they should learn more about birth control, 56% that they should learn more about both abstinence and birth control or protection, 22% didn’t know, and 7% refused to answer (“Adult and teen preferences,” 2010).
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.
Statistics from recent studies suggest that only 13% of U.S. teens have ever had sex by the age of 15. But by the age of 19, seven in ten teens of both sexes have had sex. Between 1995 and 2006-2008, the percentage of teens aged 15-17 who had ever engaged in sexual intercourse declined from 38% to 28%. Among teens aged 18-19, it declined from 68% in 1995 to 60% in 2006-2008. The pregnancy rate among young women has declined steadily from 117 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in 1990 to 70 per 1,000 in 2005. However in 2006, the rate increased for the first time in more than a decade, rising to
On average, about 46 percent of high school teens have already engaged in sexual behaviors, along with 62 percent of seniors(Conklin). These high schoolers are around 14 to 18 years old, meaning that teens may start to experiment as young as when they enter high school. “Teens typically experience a growing interest in romantic and sexual relationships during this time, which often leads to behavioral experimentation and risk-taking,”(Gale). The risk-taking behavior could be quite serious, as sex can lead to pregnancy, or even STIs. As a result, an age restriction has been set for teens, where they are allowed to consent to sex only at a certain age. This age restriction also depends on culture and morality, so although many countries and states can be understanding towards teenagers experimenting, others believe it is wrong no matter the circumstance, and at times teens, mainly females, are shunned for their behavior. Teenagers should not feel pressured into the social stigma that sex is wrong, but instead should continue to be educated accordingly to understand the possible outcomes and safe methods for experimentation.