Student House
ENG 101
Mrs. Johnson
20 November 2012
Teens Getting Birth Control Without Parental Consent Currently Teenagers are trying to grow up too quickly. They want to be just like the TV characters they idolize and will change themselves to do so. There are shows on TV like “16 and pregnant” that basically insinuate; if you have sex and get pregnant then you will get paid to be on television. Most teens do not go to their parents for birth control because they are afraid. In general teenagers do not want their parents knowing they are having sex. Having access to birth control, with or without the parents permission, can be a touchy subject. With this point, getting birth control without parental consent is a debatable
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Each shot prevents pregnancy for three months. The shot can be taken in the butt, arm or thigh (Birth control methods). Of course there are plenty more methods but the most popular form of birth control would be the pill. It is an oral drug that must be taken by mouth once every day. Most people would argue that being able to buy birth control as a teen would be good because teen pregnancies would drop. However this does not guarantee teenage pregnancies will drop. If even one pill is forgotten or lost the effectiveness of the pills decrease immensely. This is why having a parent to maybe remind you might be a good thing. “Statistics show only 35% of teenagers use condoms even though they have access to them.” (Minors Access to Contraceptive Services) The problem is that condoms can also be ineffective due to teens using them improperly or simply not using them at all. A secondary form is always a good extra measure in most cases. To prevent teen pregnancies and the spread of STD’s the practice of safe sex is a necessity. Condoms will protect you from STDs better than not using one at all. STDs affect more teens than teenage pregnancies. If safe sex is not practiced, certain forms of STD’s can later cause more severe problems like cancer or even HIV. The most common case from HPV is cervical cancer to girls (Cervical Cancer Soars in Young: Rise in Unprotected Sex Sees Cases Soar.) If young females had a parent
Teen girls between the ages of 15 and 18 should be able to receive birth control and contraceptive without the consent of their parents because most believe that’s a good mature age. Birth control is a crucial factor in preventing pregnancies. Birth control motivates young females to be responsible and have knowledge about their sexual health and also have control on their general health. After interviewing
As of recently, the approval of the emergency contraceptive Plan B, for the use of girls as young as fifteen years old has stirred up quite some controversy (Belluck, 2013). Those who oppose it cite the diminishing moral values that this would impose on an already increasingly secular society. These individuals believe that having access to such a powerful substance would encourage young girls to engage in sexual promiscuity without any fear of repercussion (Belluck, 2013). However, proponents of this new law argue that giving full access to fifteen year old girls would discourage them from becoming pregnant at such an early age and gives them the opportunity to make wise decisions about their bodies. Aside from the two strongly opposing sides to this dilemma, the actual nature of the dilemma stems from the ease with which these young girls would be able to access the emergency contraceptive drug. Before the new law came into place, the emergency contraceptive was only available through the prescription of a doctor and could only be accessed through a pharmacist (Aleccia, 2013). With the new law, anyone fifteen or older would be able to access and purchase the drug over-the-counter. Granting such access to girls who may at times not be fully aware of the consequences of their actions is the nature of the dilemma.
A 16-year-old girl visits a birth control clinic and asks to be put on the pill. Since she is a minor, the clinic doctor who writes the prescription for her notifies her parents of the action. As of the year 2016, there are only 26 states that allow minors to obtain contraceptives without parental consent. There are 20 states that allow certain minors to obtain contraceptives without parental consent and those include minors that are married or who have already been pregnant. Four states have no laws on parental consent (Gutimacher Institute, 2016). This ethical controversy leaves room for an open interruption of whether or not minors should need parental consent to gain access to birth control, to apply ethical reasoning to this controversy one must examine the ethical principles of utilitarianism, rights-based, duty-based, justice based, and virtue-based ethics.
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
Many women don't have time to see their doctor let alone run to the pharmacy to pick up their pill every 1-3 months. Putting the contraceptive behind the counter would make women with busier lives easier. To get the pill women need to see their primary care doctor just to write up a prescription, which is almost pointless to waste an appointment on. Women should be able to get birth control without all the hassle. It would be much more efficient if the birth control was behind the counter and all you had to do was ask for it, much like the morning after pill. Not only would women appreciate the convenience, but so would young teens. Often young teens are too scared to tell their parents that they are sexually active and want to be on the pill. Parent Teen Help explains, “About 95 percent of sexually experienced teen females has used a condom at least one. About 55 percent have used birth control like the pill. About 58 percent go with the pull out method, which is the least effective method of birth control”. Making life more simple for teens by easy access to the pill will prevent teens from using unprotected methods, such as the pullout method and is also much more safe than many people think.
Thesis statement: In order to explain why contraceptives are becoming such a necessity in schools today, I will share how teen parenthood is being glorified, reasons for such an increase in teenage pregnancies, and how effective distributing contraceptives would be.
Teenagers will still be able to choose whether or not they want to protect themselves from pregnancy if their parents are not there for them. In the other hand some individuals think that having birth control available over the counter will cause individuals to have more sex and some women are not responsible enough to take the pill everyday at the same time. Some may argue that providing birth control over the counter can cause woman and teenage girls to have more sex than they were before and sime may question if women are responsible enough, it should be sold over the counter because it will reduce the number of abortions and pregnancies by allowing these women to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies.
Within the pro-choice world there are many issues that are discussed like abortion, the instant where life begins and the use of contraceptives. This article will focus on not only the issue of using of contraceptives, but specifically the distribution of oral contraceptives (“the pill”) to teenage girls without their parent’s consent.
The Journal of American Medical Association reports that roughly 1 in 5 teenagers would have unsafe sex if they had to notify parents when getting birth control (“Birth Control” 144). Think back to when you were young and the choices that you made. I, through personal experience, have to agree with this statement. I was 17 when I became a patient at Family Planning. They encouraged me to talk to my parents but, I was not forced to. I was able to obtain birth control for free and education from a nurse that helped me to make a decision that
Seven hundred fifty thousand teenagers, ages fifteen to nineteen, become pregnant each year (“Facts”). Teenage birth specialists have often debated whether or not teenagers should have access to birth control and other contraceptives. Although some people think teenagers having birth control will promote promiscuity, birth control should be accessible to teens because they will put themselves at a higher risk for disease and pregnancy without it, and more teenage girls would get a high school diploma with it.
Birth control has prevented many unwanted teen pregnancies, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen births in the United States reached a historic low in 2015, which can be explained in large part by an increased use of contraception among young people” (Gebelhoff, Robert). As of right now, women have to get a prescription to get oral contraceptives from their doctor. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, this movement to make access to these contraceptives is supported by them. Although, teenagers are more likely to use birth control pills compared to using condoms, they are not being influenced by their sexual or emotional pressures. This article also says, the public-health benefits from
Imagine you are sitting in the doctor’s office awkwardly with your mom. The doctor comes in, checks you out and asks a few questions. You fear him asking “Are you sexually active?” Your mom is sitting across from you and you are afraid what she is going to think of you when you answer “Yes.” to the question. You want to do the right thing and get
Teens should be allowed to purchase birth control without parental consent because many parents agree that their child is mature to make the decision on their own. The author of “Contrceptive should be available to teens without parental consent claims that birth control is a freedom of fundamental human rights.” If teens are making the decision to have sex without parental consent birth control should be the same when it comes to protecting themselves against pregnancy and other life changing decisions. Furthermore, many teens are not open when it comes to talking to their parents about sex not to mention birth control. Birth control should be attained without parental consent unless the individual decides if her parents should be involved.
Parents should be supportive to the child no matter what the situation can be or how hard it is to understand. The guardians of the minor have the right to know where they go and with whom they spend time with. This does not necessarily mean they can decide when their child should be ready to be sexually active. Regardless, it is going to occur when they feel that the moment is right. Birth control is not only valuable in protecting young teens getting pregnant, but also has its health advantages. To add to that, the child may want to begin taking birth control before they do so, but it becomes a very uncomfortable and awkward topic for a child to discuss with their parents. There are many unsupportive parents that become sensitive to this topic, and may deny birth control to their daughters. In other words, birth control should be available to teenage girls without parental consent.
The problem with birth control today is obtaining it in the first place. For most teens getting birth control is an intimidating experience. Girls must have a complete gynecological exam, which most have never had. Girls must also speak with a doctor about wanting birth control. "Even if it's only a male going to the store to get condoms he has to put up with comments like, 'I'll have to charge you an entertainment tax.' A female goes in and she hears, 'Hey honey, you're not the one whose supposed to be buying these.' She gets embarrassed" (health clinic worker). When free condoms are offered to students, they are less embarrassed to receive them. Students with condoms are more likely to use them during sexual activity.