To What Extent Does Access To Condoms Prevent Teenage Pregnancy

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

Multiple factors influence the rate of teen pregnancy. Some of the most important factors influencing pregnancy rates are socioeconomic status, education, and family income. With low socioeconomic status and income, parents may not always be present in their children’s lives in order to educate them on sex. School districts, then, take on the responsibility to educate teenagers on sexual intercourse and safe practices, but some fail. Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. provided statistics showing that while many schools push abstinence-only programs, they show little to no positive impact on preventing teen pregnancies (Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. (n.d.)). While abstinence may work for some, it is not realistic to believe that all teens will abide by it. Teens need a comprehensive sexual education with emphasis on safe sex practices, which is where Be Safe, Not Sorry comes into play. The comprehensive program will cover all

without their parent's permission would help reduce a number of teen pregnancies.Birth control can help a number of health issues that concern that gives teens a sense that they have permission to just have sex just because they have access to birth control. There are many reasons that birth control should be easily accessible to teens, but also there is still risk involved. The risk is less the

Master of Professional Health Debra Hauser states that sexual education is an essential part of the development and growth of teenagers. In her article “Youth Health and Rights in Sex Education”, MPH Hauser provides a report of teenage pregnancies and STDs incidences, which points out that each year in the United States, about 750,000 teens become pregnant, with up to 82 percent of those pregnancies being unintended. Young people ages 15-24 account for 25 percent of all new HIV infections in the U.S (Hauser). According to Hauser, “sex education teaches young people the skills they need to protect themselves”, such as the ability to recognize patterns of a toxic relationships, learning to value and have control over their bodies, understanding

One solution to preventing teen pregnancy would be to provide better access to birth control for teenagers. In Jacqueline Sedgwick’s article, “American Adolescents and Emergency Contraceptive Pill Access,” she argues that the American teenage pregnancy and abortion rates are higher than any other nation due to the irregular or improper usage of birth control. Many American teenagers are unaware of how to properly use the contraceptives and mistakenly find themselves in difficult situations, but with more knowledge about birth control, teens will be able to properly protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. According to the article, the federal court order the US Food and Drug Administration to make emergency contraceptive pills available to teens over the age of seventeen without a prescription (Sedgwick). Allowing easy access to birth control will enable teens to be prepared and inhibit them from unintended pregnancies that are likely

This day in age, teenage pregnancy is becoming a regular thing for the post-millennials. “In 2014, a total of 249,078 babies were born to women aged 15–19 years (CDC)”, although this was a low from 2013, it is a large increase from when my parents were a teenager about 10 years ago. This increase in access that we should provide teenage girls would contribute to many vital things such as a decrease teenage pregnancy statistics, and letting them be able to make important/smart decisions regarding their lifestyle. These decisions of whether or not to use birth control if given access to it is a vital decision as it can affect their future. Being able to open up the world of birth control to teenage girls can save them from having children at a young age, if selecting to participate in sexual activities and continue on with that while using a birth control method. There are multiple birth control methods that can help with trying to prevent pregnancy and getting pregnant. These methods include but are not limited to: condoms (most of the time effective but not 100%), which anybody can buy no matter what, prescription birth control pills (the possible safest way if sexually active), staying abstinent, and other varieties of birth controls. An example would be if my friend uses condoms and his girlfriend is on birth control there is a greater chance of not conceiving or

Clemmitt (2010) states that currently the most effective approach to prevent teenage pregnancy is evidence-based sex education programs. The primary debate about the best method of preventing teenage pregnancy is between abstinence-only courses and comprehensive sex education. The author says that after operating comprehensive sex education, the Obama approach, many communities and county areas have drastically reduced the rate of teenage pregnancy. Studies and statistics suggested that abstinence-only courses have not contributed to reduce teenage pregnancy rates. The author points out that the abstinence-only courses also include sexually transmitted diseases classes and discussions of unhealthy relationship and making decisions, and abstinence

Research has shown that since the 1990’s teen pregnancy has significantly fallen: “pregnancy rate peaked among teens ages 15-19 in 1990, at 116.8, and had fallen 44% by 2009.”4 What has contributed to this decline? The Pew Research Organization found that “While the overall share of teens using contraception at first sex has not changed significantly, the use of some forms of highly effective

Over the years, the rate of adolescent pregnancy in the United States has been declining by nearly 40% since the 1990’s. (Brown, 2016) Adolescent pregnancy rates have decreased across the nation for adolescents belonging to any racial and ethnic group. (Brown, 2016) It seems that adolescents are making smarter decisions considering that there is 77% decline in pregnancy risk. Adolescent pregnancy risk is positively correlated with greater use of condoms by 58% and birth control methods by 39%.

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.”

Many think that teaching students about contraceptives will reduce teenagers from having unplanned pregnancies. Research confirms that “education provided by Planned Parenthood, which teaches contraceptive use, helps increase the use of contraceptives and condoms when students do become sexually active”(Neering). This means that they stress the use of condoms over the idea of waiting. What happens when condoms or birth control fail? The curriculum of abstinence-only believes that teaching contraceptive use just encourages teenagers to become sexually active (ProQuest). According to the Center of Disease Control, “waiting lowers the risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases” ("Sex-Ed Must Stress Value of Abstinence."). If they are not in the situation of possibly having sex, then they do not face having an unplanned pregnancy.

To truly understand how to lower teen pregnancy, one has to look at the statistics. The following quote from Stranger-Hall’s essay exemplifies this; “After accounting for other factors, the national data show that the incidence of teenage pregnancies and births remain positively correlated with the degree of abstinence education across states: The more strongly abstinence is emphasized in state laws and policies, the higher the average teenage pregnancy and birth rate.” (Stranger-Hall, 6) Variations on how strongly abstinence is emphasized also leads to variations in effectiveness of reducing teenage pregnancy. Abstinence only education emphasizes that the only way to prevent an unwanted pregnancy is to completely abstain from sex until marriage. These programs typically don’t cover means of contraception, and if they do it is usually only to discuss its ineffectiveness. Where comprehensive education differs is that while it too covers abstinence, it also discusses various methods of birth control, as well as sexually transmitted diseases. Despite what the U.S. government supports, it has been shown that comprehensive sexual education does in fact lower teenage pregnancy

This is a fact confirmed by the CDC (“About Teen Pregnancy”). It is also a fact that teen pregnancy continues to decline every year at an incredible rate. This could definitely be due to sex education and the availability of birth control without parental consent. Janice Shaw Crouse wrote about a D.C. area study which shows that abstinence programs have been effective. This data showed that girls in this program were seven times less likely to engage in sexual activity than girls that were not in the abstinence program (“Birth Control” 115). This proves that abstinence can help in the fight against teen pregnancies and the spread of STD’s. I do agree with this being a great tool in this fight yet, it will not keep our kids safe. Some of our kids will still choose to be sexually active and we need to prepare them for this choice.

Knowledge about condoms and contraceptives provide the teenagers a better understanding which may lessen the incidence of early pregnancies and infections brought about by sexual intercourse. The author also recommends the government to sponsor condom availability programs for high school students to provide more access to condoms and contraceptives. Prohibiting the young people of today from using condoms and contraceptives may only increase the problems of illnesses and unwanted pregnancies so it may be more beneficial to do

Students that are sexually active need to have access to condoms to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases. Teens have problems with birth control for several reasons, and because of this lack of birth control teens are more susceptible to pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.