Contraceptives and the Teenage User

Contraceptives and the Teenage User

For years now a debate has been ongoing concerning teenagers and contraceptives. Some argue that giving contraceptives or even allowing teenagers to purchase them only encourages premarital sex. This attitude, however, denies the simple fact that premarital sex in adolescents has been common throughout the ages. It occurred before effective contraceptives were available, it occurs now despite the well publicized existence of untreatable and deadly diseases like AIDS, and it will continue regardless of public policies restricting access to contraceptives. I believe that to deny teenagers access to every available means of protecting themselves against unwanted pregnancy and disease can only result in more tragic abortions, increased infection of sexually transmitted diseases, and continued unnecessary fear and apprehension of sex.

Gordon Hugenberger, senior minister of the Park Street Pulpit acknowledges that premarital sex in ancient times was rare indeed. Was this due to a more pure morality? No. It was because the average age for marriage, especially among women, was the mid-teenage years. Premarital sex among teenagers is nearly unheard of in ancient times because they were typically already married by the time they become sexually active. Similarly, according to an article written in the Hindu Website (http://hinduwebsite.com) on the Hindu view premarital sex concedes, “In ancient times premarital sex was not an issue because the girls were mostly married before they reached puberty and sent to their husband’s homes where they would grow up under the careful attention of the elders of the families.” Teenage sex was commonplace, but teenagers were married!

To expect th...

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...ontraceptives to teenagers have taken a step over that line.

When deciding public policy concerning contraceptive use among teenagers, we must be careful to allow them access to devices and medicines which will help us promote the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and disease which is generally desired, nevertheless not step over the line and end up promoting an activity which is in effect dangerous at the same time. To do the first one is to deny effective prevention to those who need it most. The second one will only be counter-productive.

Cited work

Howard, M. Preventing Teenage Pregnancy. [Online] Available: http://www.uwex.edu

(December 3, 2001)

Hugenberger, G. The Park Street Pulpit. [Online] (Available: http://www.parkstreet.org

(December 3,2001)

[Online] Available:http://hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_premarital.htm

(December 3,2001)