Birth Control and Contreceptive Use for High School Students

How many high school students are having sex? A 1999 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 65 percent of 12th-graders and 39 percent of high school freshmen were sexually active. Overall, 52 percent of high school-age boys and 48 percent of high school girls were having sexual intercourse. About 80 percent of 19 year olds have had sex. These facts are taken from a nationwide study taken in 1999 and the trend is going up. Teen pregnancies occur very often in the United States. Eighty-four out of every 1,000 teen girls between ages 15-19 become impregnated. This is a stunning fact that must be eradicated from future years to come. Most of you know someone who has gotten pregnant in high school. Birth control is the best alternative to abstinence, because face it, teens have sex, and will continue to have sex. Both girls and boys play a part in the problem, and I strongly believe that contraceptive and birth control methods are the best way around unwanted teen pregnancy.

English: Entrance to the headquarters of the Cente...

English: The Centers for Disease Control and Preve...

Affiche Israël 1982 birth control

The biggest problem in teen pregnancy is the lack of contraceptive use. Birth control is not guaranteed to work, but it greatly reduces the chance of pregnancy. Every teenage girl should be on birth control. Ninety-five percent of teen pregnancies occur because they are not on any form of birth control. The number one reason teens fail to use certain methods of contraception is because they are afraid to talk about them. I know so many people who would love the luxury of birth control; however they don't know where to turn to or who to talk to. Many teens are afraid to discuss the topic with anyone besides their peers. Some are yearning to beseech their parents about using contraceptives; however, they are afraid...