Unintended Pregnancy Prevention

1261 Words3 Pages

Are controversial concerns about the birth control pill really a problem? Allowing teenagers to use the birth control pill has been a controversial subject for parents, teachers, and teenagers for a wide range of reasons. The vast majority of teenage pregnancies, "more than four out of five", are unplanned ("Unintended Pregnancy Prevention"). Whether teenagers believe in common myths that they can't get pregnant the first time having sex or they truly believe nothing like this could ever happen to them, it happens to approximately seven hundred and fifty thousand teenagers in the United States each year. Although the birth control pill may not completely put an end to teenage pregnancies, it will decrease pregnancy rates among teenagers and decrease high school dropout rates.
Opponents don't think teenagers should be able to use the birth control pill because it does not prevent sexually transmitted diseases. This is absolutely true, however, the birth control pill is there to release synthetic hormones of estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation, keeping a teenager, or any female for that matter, from getting pregnant because if she doesn't ovulate there is no egg to be fertilized. If sexually transmitted diseases are a concern, other contraceptives may be used that can actually prevent unwanted diseases. Keeping that in mind, abstinence is the only way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and the chance of getting pregnant with one hundred percent certainty. If a teenager is undoubtedly sexually active, it is vital to take precautions, such as the birth control pill, to avoid consequences such as delivery complications, educational set backs and financial issues that come with unwanted teenage pregnancies.
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