Why Teenagers Should Have Access To Birth Control

Like any other teenager I was scared to bring up birth control to my parents. I thought they would think the worst and assume I wanted it for reasons that any parents would think. They weren’t at my appointment so I had to tell them myself that my dermatologist recommended it. They, like most people, didn’t know that birth control could help with other things besides as a contraceptive.

The first appearance of oral birth control was in 1960. Margaret Sanger was actually the one who raised $150,000 to do the research necessary for the invention of the first birth control pill in 1960. The name of that pill is Envoid and was manufactured by Searle. There was also other forms of birth control that were invented in 3000 B. C. The pills then were used as just a contraceptive but has been proven to help many other things since then. (Thompson, Kirsten M. J. )

Teen girls use birth control for many other things than just as a contraceptive.

Jeanna Bryner states that about 762,000 women who have never had sexual intercourse use the pill, primarily for non-contraceptive purposes. Fifty-seven percent said they use it to treat menstrual pain, 43 percent for menstrual regulation, and 26 percent for acne treatment. They’re also used to help and prevent serious health conditions, and also help with girls menstrual cycles. (Bryner, Jeanna, Live Science Managing Editor)

Teenagers should have access to birth control because it reduces teen birth and abortion rates. According to Kyle McCarthy, earlier this month, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced that the state's teen birth rate dropped 40 percent between 2009 and 2013. This was in large part due to a program that provides contraception to low-income women. Teenagers having access to birth control over the counter will help lower the teen birth and abortion rates as well. (McCarthy, Kyle, Contributor)

Birth control should be offered free to everyone, it won’t just benefit the user but it will also benefit taxpayers. According to bedsider. com unplanned pregnancy costs U. S. taxpayers $12 billion a year. A big chunk of that number comes from the cost of providing health care for low-income women during and after the birth of their child through Medicaid. ( 5 Fantastic Arguments for Better Birth Control Access. ” Bedsider)

It also will save the state money, or example a private funder helped supply long-acting reversible contraceptives – IUDs and hormone implants – which were offered to low-income and uninsured women through state providers. Colorado saved an estimate $5. 68 in Medicaid funds for every $1 spent on the program. Birth control being free would just make everything better in the long run. (“Everyone Wins When Birth Control Is Free. ”)

The research also shows that requiring teens to tell a parent before they can access contraceptive services doesn't reduce their sexual activity, it will just put their health and lives at risk. Many people think that having to have parents consent for birth control will stop teenagers from having sexual intercourse but it has been shown in several ways that it’s not the case. The government cannot mandate healthy family communication. Federal law already requires health care providers in federally funded family planning clinics to encourage teenagers to talk to their parents about their health care decisions. (“Everyone Wins When Birth Control Is Free. ” )

Every state has passed laws permitting teenagers to obtain care for STDs without involving a parent and most have express legal provisions guaranteeing confidential access to contraceptives as well. Even in those states without express laws, teens still have a constitutional right to access confidential care. Forced parental involvement would represent a dangerous reversal of long-standing public health policies. (American Civil Liberties Union, Aclu,)

Birth control is over all a great thing I think, but some say it isn’t for some of the following reasonings. Some of these are side effects such as irregular menstrual periods, depression, nervousness, hair loss, and weight gain. I personally haven’t been affected by these except one but it went away after the first month of taking the pills. There are a ton of different pills and forms of birth control and all of them will have different side effects based on the person using them. (Contraception: Pros and Cons of Different Contraceptive Methods)

Birth control has helped me in many of the ways that were listed above. It has helped my acne quite a bit. I think this just proves my point that birth control is mostly a good thing and not so much of a bad thing. It can be used for good things and bad things but it can also prevent and save you and many others lots of money.