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Parents must understand that the best birth control for teens is openly discussing them with their kids. Unfortunately, most parents of sexually active teenagers find it awkward to discuss birth control methods. They end up letting their children find their answers on their own.
Statistically, teens are likely to get incorrect information or incorrectly use birth control methods like pills and condoms.
Therefore, an increased risk for unwanted pregnancies is a significant issue for unprepared teens. To counter this, parents should discuss with their teens who are the best birth control methods to prevent this and other problems.
The Best Birth Control for Teens
In this article, we’ll discuss the following:
- Abstinence
- IUD and Implants
- Birth Control Shots
- Patches
- Birth Control Pills
- Condoms
- Rhythm method
- Withdrawal method
- Spermicides
- Sponge
- Female condom
- Emergency contraception pills
Abstinence
Of course, as a parent, you can suggest abstinence as the first line of defense. It is 100% guaranteed to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV/AIDS.
Unfortunately, not every teen will comply or follow that suggestion. Instead, they may get tempted to act on their impulses in the heat of the moment, making this method ineffective.
IUD and Implants
Intrauterine devices (IUDs) like Skyla and implants are the best options for teens regarding effectiveness and ease of use. These are long-term reversible contraceptives that are very effective in preventing pregnancies. Fortunately, less than 1 in every 100 females will become pregnant yearly with these implants.
Teenagers will benefit from IUDs and implants because of their ease of use. However, remember that not every male teen will put on a condom in the heat of the moment. And the female will not always take a daily pill without missing a dose.
A doctor places an IUD, a small T-shaped device, into the womb via vaginal insertion. Depending on its type, it can stay inside for 3-12 years, prevent pregnancy, and ease menstrual cramps.
In contrast, the implant is a small match-sized plastic rod. It goes under the skin on the upper arm and will protect against pregnancy for up to 3 years.
Some potential side effects of using an IUD include pain, heavy bleeding, and infection. In addition, some girls may experience nausea, fatigue, or loss of appetite.
Other birth control for teens
These are less effective than IUDs and implants but protect against pregnancy than condoms, rhythm, and withdrawal methods.
Birth Control Shots
The shot, known as medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera), contains a long-acting three-month progestin. It can result in lighter periods, bone density loss, and weight gain.
It has a higher success rate than birth control pills – only 6 in 100 females will get pregnant in the first year.
Some potential side effects of using birth control shots include pain, bruising, bleeding, itching, pale skin, and breast tenderness.
Birth Control Patches
The patch contains a combination of estrogen and progestin. It goes on the backside or upper arm, which the child wears for three weeks during her monthly period.
It isn’t 100% guaranteed to prevent pregnancy. About 9 in 100 females will become pregnant within the first year when using this method. However, it’s easier to use than pills.
Some potential side effects of using birth control patches include headaches, mood swings, breast tenderness, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and breast swelling.
Birth Control Pills
The pills are popular and cheaper, but there are downsides to their use, especially among teenagers. For one, its effectiveness is lower than the other methods. But the main issue is that you need to take them every day without fail. In addition, teens are not systematic and can quickly become an inconvenience.
Potential side effects include nausea, headache, mood swings, and weight gain.
Be sure to discuss its pros and cons closely with your teen since it isn’t as effective as hoped.
Less effective methods of birth control
Other methods exist, but they aren’t as effective. We’ll discuss a few of them in detail.
Condoms
Using condoms is straightforward. The male will rip open the package and place it on him before engaging his partner. Unfortunately, there are several problems using them.
- They can break during the act.
- He might feel awkward when using it to remove it during the session.
- The male might choose not to put them on at all.
You shouldn’t combine latex condoms with oil-based lubricants (baby oil, lotions, massage oil, petroleum jelly). This material will debilitate the condom, potentially causing it to tear or break.
Rhythm method
The rhythm method encourages a couple to use a woman’s natural cycle to control her ovulation. However, it is often complicated.
Women’s cycles are sometimes irregular, which can cause the prediction to fail. In addition, it can have a significant margin of error, which the couple might not realize. As a consequence, they end up with an unwanted pregnancy even when, in their mind, they were very thorough.
Withdrawal method
The withdrawal method consists of the male pulling out just before he finishes. Unfortunately, this method doesn’t work and is one of the biggest culprits for teen pregnancies worldwide. Several things can go wrong with this one, making it ineffective. So, could you not rely on it?
Spermicides
Spermicides work by killing sperm and come in many forms — foam, gel, cream, film, suppository, or tablet. First, the woman has to place a vaginal implant one hour before having sex. Afterward, they must remain for at least six to eight hours.
You can use the spermicide in combination with a male condom, diaphragm, or cervical cap.
They are available at drug stores. But unfortunately, they have a usage failure of typically around 21%.
Sponge
The sponge is a form of contraceptive that uses a spermicide. It goes inside the vagina near the cervix. While its protection can last up to 24 hours, you should keep it in place at least 6 hours after the last intercourse. Know that they tend to fail around 14% of the time.
Female condom
There’s a particular type of condom that is specific for women. It helps to prevent sperm from entering the body. It has a lubricant to ease insertion, and many drug stores sell them. You can put them up to 8 hours before sex. They tend to fail around 21% of the time.
Emergency contraception pills
First, an emergency contraception pill is not a method of birth control but a last resort tool to prevent pregnancy. You should take the pills no more than five days after having unprotected sex. However, the sooner they are taken, the better.
How to convince a teen to use protection?
So now you have an understanding of what methods are available. How do you convince your teen that they need to use them?
Perhaps some numbers can help. Here are some current stats about teen pregnancy in the US:
- 3 in 10 girls in America will get pregnant before reaching 20 years old.
- The leading reason teens drop out of school is that they get pregnant.
- About 50% of teen mothers never graduate high school.
- Forget about college! Less than 2% earn a college degree before reaching 30 years.
- Forget about the dad! Eight out of ten teens that become dads refuse to marry the mother of their child.
- If you are a sexually active teen and don’t use contraceptives, there’s a 90% chance of getting pregnant within a year.
- More than half of mothers who rely on welfare were teen moms.
Most common STDs
These are the most common STDs that some of these methods can prevent:
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Hepatitis
- Herpes
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Syphilis
- Trichomoniasis
In Conclusion
Parenting is hard. Talking with teens about avoiding getting pregnant is harder. Going into detail about the best birth control for teens, their pros and cons, and which ones to avoid can be tricky.
Don’t limit your conversation to preventing pregnancy. There are many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that some of these methods can help avoid.
A general recommendation is to combine using condoms with other birth control methods. That way, you get the best of both.
Nevertheless, the idea is that you engage in these conversations with your kids. It will teach them their options and how to care for their bodies.