Giving Birth Control to Teenagers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Giving Birth Control to Teenagers - Essay Example This essay considers questions of teenage birth control and argues that it is in the best interest of the country to permit teenager’s access to it. One of the primary arguments against providing birth control to teenagers is that it encourages them to engage in sexual relations. When one considers this argument, it’s demonstrated to be completely erroneous. The human sexual drive is one of the primary instinctual motivations and as such teenagers will continue to experiment with sex whether effective contraception is made available or not. Indeed, teenage pregnancy rates are on the rise (Dawn). In these regards, it’s clear that policymakers must make a shift in their perspectives from viewing birth control as a harmful element, to one that can actually aid teenagers who are already engaging in sexual practices. The idea that birth control contributes to teenage sex is in large part derived from a naive notion of teenage sexual norms. Policymakers are assuming th at in the process of educating teenagers of their birth control options, the teenagers will suddenly become sexually aware and decide to engage in sexual practices. In reality teenagers are not this naive. In prohibiting birth control then policy makers are essentially increasing the chances of teenage pregnancy, as teenagers will increasingly resort to riskier methods of intercourse.