December 8th, 2015
Discussing topics that are sexually bold is not a common practice in many cultures. In fact even in United States, parents often feel uncomfortable giving their teens “the sex talk” and therefore most guardians seek the help of pediatricians to counsel kids on reliable birth control methods.
But healthcare providers strongly advise parents to educate the teens regarding safe sexual attitudes, promising birth control methods and strategies to prevent STDs. Likewise, pediatricians can also help a great deal by prescribing contraception methods that are most suitable for the lifestyle and personal preferences of the teens.
The prevalence of unwanted teen pregnancies is fairly high in the US population. According to latest statistics (1), the rate of teen pregnancy in 2014 was 26.5 live birth per every 1,000 teens. This corresponds to 273,105 babies born to teen mommies.
According to several studies, it has been observed that most teen know nothing about the safest and most reliable methods of contraception. For example study reported in the Journal of Adolescent Health (2), investigators concluded that more than 71% adolescents were unsure about the safety and efficacy of IUD contraceptives and more than 80% agreed to not using a permanent method of contraception in the past 6 months.
It is a small, flexible and thin plastic device that contains active hormonal analogues (mostly progestins). Like all other hormonal implants, it is recommended to introduce this hormonal formulation in the skin of forearm for long term relief from unwanted pregnancy. It is important to mention that you would still need a condom (or other methods of physical barrier) to minimize the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Contraceptive implants are recommended for teens because the error rate is only 0.05%. In addition, other benefits for considering contraceptive implants are:
In uterus, a flexible, small, T shaped device can be inserted. Copper T IUD doesn’t have hormones and there is no need to replace it for up to 10 years. Levonorgestral IUD have hormones and can work for 3-5 years without replacement. The error rate is only 0.2%-0.8%
They prevent egg release from ovaries and the effect of one intramuscular injection lasts for up to 3 months. Error rate is up to 6%
A ring is placed into vagina every month to prevent the release of egg from the ovaries. The ring stays there for 3 weeks. Error rate is 9%.
Skin absorbs the hormone from the dermal patch and prevents the egg release. Replacement is required every week for 3 weeks then it is removed. Error rate is 9%.
Progesterone and estrogen is present in combination pill but the progestin-only medicines have progesterone for teenagers. Error rate of 9%
A condom offer contraception by acting as a physical barrier by covering the penis to prevent the contact of sperms with female vaginal lining. This is the only contraceptive method that also prevent STDs by restricting the entry of male secretions into the vagina (or by limiting the direct contact of male and female genitalia). However, high error rate of 18% limits the efficacy.
A pouch that fits into vagina and is left outside. The error rate is 21%
It has been observed that most teens do not use a permanent or reliable method of contraception, which is why it is very important to guide teens regarding emergency contraception. Additionally, despite using contraception, a failure may occur (such as condom puncture or other such accidents). Emergency contraception employ the ingestion of one-time pills containing progestin hormones.
Some other Methods:
Some other methods that are less reliable are:
The error rate is 24%
For best results, it is highly recommended to see a healthcare practitioner to learn which methods/ strategies are most appropriate for you.
References:
1. http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/reproductive-health/teen-pregnancy/trends.html
2. Teal, S. B., & Romer, S. E. (2013). Awareness of long-acting removable contraception among teens and young adults. Journal of Adolescent Health, 52(4), S35-S39.
3. Frost, J. J., Lindberg, L. D., & Finer, L. B. (2012). Young adults’ contraceptive knowledge, norms and attitudes: associations with risk of unintended pregnancy. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 44(2), 107-116.