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Does access to condoms reduce teenage pregnancy?

The rate of teenage pregnancies in the U.S is relatively high. Around three-quarters of a

million teenagers get pregnant each year- the highest rate among developed nations. In the year

2011, teenage births included 8.4% of all births along with 18.4% of all out of wedlock births.

The birth rate for U.S. teenagers (ages 15 through 19) increased in 2006 and 2007 after a steady

decline since 1991. However, in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 the teen birth rate dropped below

the 2006 teen birth rate, A major concern of these teenage pregnancies is that about 80% of

them are unwanted and the worst part is that close to a quarter of them all end up in abortion. In

the past years however, teenage pregnancy has been on the decline because of more use of

contraceptives.

Close to half of teenagers who use contraceptives use condoms. Even though condoms

may break or slip during sexual intercourse, their failure rate is relatively low. nevertheless, the

issue of condom failure still remains a major point of concern. It has been argued that promotion

of condom use among teenagers has in fact leads to more of them being sexually active. This is

risky since teenagers are more likely to use condoms incorrectly or inconsistently in addition to

the breakage and slippage. This however was not the major shortcoming as in the earlier years of

the 80’s.
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It is true that in the earlier years of 80s and early 90s, condoms use did not really

influence positively the issue of teenage pregnancies but the trend has been on a changing

course. Campaigns to promote safe sex and sex education provided to teenagers have

undoubtedly achieved some noticeable degree of success. It is in fact failure in usage of condoms

and other contraceptives due to inadequate knowledge that poses a major challenge in tackling of

teenage pregnancies.

Since most teenagers do not live together, the chances of them having an unplanned

pregnancy while they continue to use condoms is still low. There has also been a significant

reduction in the number of teenage pregnancies recorded in the United States in the past decade

and earlier. In the year 2005 for example, the birth rate among female teenagers aged 15-19

stood at 40.4 births per 1000 females. In 1991, the birth rate for the same age group was a

staggering 61.8 births per 1000 females. There has also been a reasonable reduction in infections

of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) over the years.

Condoms do not only protect against pregnancies but also transmission of HIV (Human

Immunodeficiency Virus), gonorrhea, Chlamydia, trichomonas and other STDs. The dramatic

decline in the teen birth rate over the past decade points to effective policies and practices that

include increased public education about HIV and other sexuality-transmitted diseases.

Increasing access and availability of condoms to schools, clinics and other social places and are

considered as an option to safe sex even by high-income teenagers who may not feel the

childbearing burden of the economy. Even though condoms are generally available, they are not

always accessible to teenagers, especially those of low income. This is mostly due to cost,
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protestation by partners, confidentiality and misperceptions about risks of pregnancy and or

infection.

“In the United States, poverty and inequity clearly are behind much of our high rates of

pregnancy, birth and abortion. But lack of sensitive, confidential, low-cost contraceptive services

and the denial of accurate and frank information about sex, are equally to blame,” stated the

president of the Alan Guttmacher Institute while commenting on teenage pregnancies in

developed countries. Without doubt, the major decline in overall number teenage pregnancies

from 1991 to 2011 is the increased use of contraceptives by the teenagers that are sexually

active.

Teenage pregnancy remains a major health issue for every country in the world

today. It is a problem coupled with social segregation and it brings about poverty, unemployment

and reduced life options for the affected teenagers. Sexually active teenagers (estimated to be

over 70% of teens, by age 19), must have access to reproductive health care and contraception

knowledge. It is the responsibility of the society to cut down barriers to teenagers’ use of

reproductive health care and contraception such as cost, confidentiality, accessibility and

perceptions once they have become sexually active. A good health promotion plan should raise

their awareness on sexual health issues; this can best be achieved by offering

teenagers supplementary information in a convenient, friendly and familiar environment.

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Works cited:

Williams E.S. Pregnant teenagers and contraception; Contraceptive failure may be a major

factor in teenage pregnancy, British Medical Journal, 1995. Print.

Kathryn K., Stanley H. U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions, National Trends by

Age, Race and Ethnicity, Guttmacher Institute, New York. NY. , 2012 Print.

Alan Guttmacher Institute, United States and the Russian Federation Lead the Developed World

in Teenage Pregnancy Rates, News Release, February 24, 2000, p. 2. Print.

Allen J. Family planning provision in the Trent health region: Is it accessible to school aged

teenagers? Family planning and reproductive health Care. 2001. Print.

Darroch JE., Ranjit N. Contraceptives' failure rates; Family planning perspective 1999. Print.

Hatcher et al. Contraceptive terminology, Ardent media. New York NY. 1998. Print.