Teenagers and Birth Control

teen couple sitting together

It can be a difficult decision to determine whether or not your teen should use birth control. By understanding the impact of your decision, you’ll be better informed to make the right choice.

If your teen is sexually active or wants to begin having sex, you’re likely considering whether or not you should encourage her to use birth control. On one hand, you may feel that birth control is the right decision to prevent pregnancy. On the other hand, you might worry that it could send the message that you’re giving her permission to have sex because she’s protected.

You don’t want your teen to get pregnant, but you also don’t want her to think she should be having sex just because she can. It’s a tough choice for many parents—and one that teens themselves struggle with.

What is Birth Control?

Birth control refers to methods used to prevent a woman from becoming pregnant, such as condoms, birth control pills, spermicides, or the morning-after pill. Abstinence may also be recommended to some teenagers as a form of birth control, although it can be difficult to convince some teens to choose this option, even though it eliminates the risk of pregnancy.

What is Sex?

In the context of birth control, sex is any activity that could result in pregnancy. While oral sex can be considered a sexual act, it doesn’t fall into this category because it doesn’t lead to pregnancy.
According to Avert.org, there are several myths surrounding how a girl can become pregnant. It’s important to know that a girl can get pregnant under these circumstances:

  • The first time she has sex.
  • If she has sex before her first period.
  • If she has sex during her period.
  • If the man pulls out before he ejaculates.
  • If she has sex standing up.
  • If she forgets to take her pill, even for just one day.

The Most Successful Form of Birth Control

Abstinence is the only guaranteed method of preventing pregnancy. By choosing not to have sex, pregnancy is simply not possible—guaranteed.
While sex is a natural part of relationships, it shouldn’t be something that is given to anyone who desires it. Sex is often seen as an act of bonding between two people. The practice of waiting until marriage for sex is the safest way to protect against the emotional and practical consequences of having an unplanned child.

It’s important to sit down with your teenager and discuss the risks of engaging in sexual behavior at a young age. Talk about how pregnancy can happen, but also how early sexual experiences may leave emotional scars, especially if the relationships are unstable.

Sex shouldn’t be something anyone feels pressured into doing. It should be reserved for the right moment, which is very rarely in a teenage relationship, where there’s often little foundation to handle an unexpected pregnancy.

Regardless of whether your teen believes in waiting for marriage or believes sex should occur only in special relationships, it’s crucial to have an open conversation about her beliefs. She should always understand that protection against pregnancy can help ensure she won’t regret her actions later.

Using a Contraceptive

A contraceptive is any method that prevents pregnancy in sexually active individuals. There are two main types of contraceptives commonly used by teenagers: barrier methods and hormonal methods.
As Avert.org explains, “barrier methods physically prevent sperm from reaching the uterus and fertilizing the egg. Hormonal methods, on the other hand, alter a woman’s hormonal cycle to prevent fertilization.”

Barrier methods include the male condom, the female condom, and spermicides. These are widely available at drug stores and are relatively inexpensive. It’s important for the teenager to read the instructions and learn how to use these contraceptives correctly to avoid pregnancy.

Hormonal methods include the contraceptive pill (also known as the birth control pill) or injectable hormonal contraceptives. If you or your teen wants more information about these birth control methods, it’s best to consult with your family doctor to ensure it’s the right choice for her situation.

More Than Birth Control

When you allow your teenager to use birth control, remember that you’re doing more than just helping her protect against pregnancy. She may feel frustrated or angry that you’re getting involved in her private life. While it’s necessary to be involved, it’s important to approach the topic in a way that’s non-threatening, so your teen knows you’re only trying to help.
Dr. Phil tells the story of Alex, a sexually active teenager. When Alex asked her parents for birth control, they weren’t sure whether or not to allow it. They feared they’d be giving her permission to have sex whenever she wanted.

However, Dr. Phil reminded Alex’s parents that “the goal is to get her through high school and college, and to a place where she’s mature enough to decide if she wants to add to her family. ‘The chance that that’s going to happen without birth control is, in my opinion, zero,’ he says. ‘The question is not if you put her on it, the question is when you put her on it,’” he continues. “I just think that’s a risk you can’t take. I don’t like the message it sends, but I think the consequences of being wrong are too great to ignore.”

If your teenager is sexually active, it’s your responsibility to ensure she understands the potential consequences and that she takes responsibility for her actions. You can’t be with her every moment of the day or night, but you can provide her with the guidance she needs to make informed decisions and learn to be responsible.

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