Teenage Contraception

Teenage Contraception

In the United States, one out of three teenage girls will become pregnant at least once (“Teen Pregnancy”). Is this because teenagers nowadays are more irresponsible? Is it because they are not being taught the dangers of sex? This decade is vastly different from previous ones, and teenagers are given more freedoms. Sometimes, they may take their freedoms too far and get caught in situations young people shouldn’t be in. Some schools do have sex education classes and the students are taught how to prevent the consequences of the activity. The key question at hand is, are the students given the proper equipment to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases? Teenagers should be allowed access to birth control and other methods of protecting themselves from other sexual risks.

The legal age for consent to have sex is 16 years old in most states, but this does not stop teenagers who have not reached their 16th birthday from participating in sexual activities. A study reported that one out of four children between the ages of 11 and 16 said they had already had sex (Bartosik). There is not much we can do to change the fact that teens have sex, although parents can change their child’s chances on becoming one of these statistics. Through providing children under the age of 16 forms of birth control, parents can help prevent teenage pregnancy and reduce risks of them contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

Denying contraception is not going to prevent teenagers from sexual exploration. In fact, 13% of girls will have sex before the age of 16, and 15% of boys ("Facts on American Teens ' Sexual and Reproductive Health”). Young people will still continue to have sex regardless of whether they are given preventative methods or not. Teenagers are curious and will sneak to do things not approved by their parents; you cannot stop them from having sexual intercourse. A child’s outlook on sex is not expected to abruptly change on the day of their 16th birthday. Teenagers do have curiosities about sex prior to the becoming of age for legal consent. It is best not to take the chance of believing teenagers are “smart” enough to not participate in unprotected sex, especially when the risks are so great.

If we know that teenagers are having sex, or are going to, we can at least offer them protection from sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy (Macleod). Parents are supposed to do their best to protect their child from any harm and provide them with the things they need to keep safe. The chance of contracting an STD or becoming pregnant should not be an exception where you do not provide safety. Out of 18.9 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases each year, 15-24 year olds make up 48% of those cases ("Facts on American Teens ' Sexual and Reproductive Health"). Parents should give their child contraceptives if it is in the child’s best interest for their health. Without the correct knowledge of safe sex and the tools to practice it, children can receive a disease that might stay with them for the rest of their lives. Not only are parents putting their child at risk by denying contraception, but also the child’s partners.

When a young girl does become pregnant, the baby ends up being more of her parents’ responsibility because the girl does not understand the role of being a mother while she is still a teenager. It only complicates the life of teenagers when they have a child of their own and decreases the chances of finishing high school. A baby puts unnecessary stress on the young mother as well as the young father. The chance of attending college significantly decreases for the teenager. Without a good education, the young man or woman may not be a successful as they once hoped for themselves. In 2002, there were over 750,000 teen pregnancies in the United States, which included over 215,000 abortions ("Teen Pregnancy"). Allowing the girls contraceptive will significantly decrease the number of pregnancies, not mention the decrease in abortions and the number of children put up for adoption.

No matter if having sex while you are under the age of 16 is illegal or not, it is the responsibility of parents and schools to teach teenagers how to practice safe sex. It is ultimately up to the parents to decide if their daughter should have contraception or if their son should have condoms. But, whether you provide your teenager with preventative methods or not, you should always provide helpful information about sex, its dangers, and how to decrease the chances of risks. Denying teenager forms of contraception will not prevent them from having sex. It will only increase their chances of contracting diseases and becoming pregnant. There has been a 3% increase in the number of teenage parents (Page). A sexually active teen who does not use contraceptives has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant or getting someone pregnant within a year (“Teen Pregnancy”). In order to decrease this number, parents need to offer their children protection by allowing them to obtain forms of contraception.

Works Cited

Bartosik, Matt. "Chicago Kids Get Busy". NBC Chicago. August 20, 2009. Web. October 19, 2009.

Guttmacher Institute, "Facts on American Teens ' Sexual and Reproductive Health". Guttmacher. September 2006. Web. November 10, 2009.

Macleod, Kirsteen. "Contraception for Under-Age Girls [UK]". International Debate Education Association. July 12, 2009. Web. October 14, 2009.

Myers, Hannah. "Pros & Cons of Teen Access to Birth Control". eHow. Web. October 14, 2009.

Cited: Bartosik, Matt. "Chicago Kids Get Busy". NBC Chicago. August 20, 2009. Web. October 19, 2009. Guttmacher Institute, "Facts on American Teens ' Sexual and Reproductive Health". Guttmacher. September 2006. Web. November 10, 2009. Macleod, Kirsteen. "Contraception for Under-Age Girls [UK]". International Debate Education Association. July 12, 2009. Web. October 14, 2009. Myers, Hannah. "Pros & Cons of Teen Access to Birth Control". eHow. Web. October 14, 2009.