Did you know May is Teen Pregnancy Awareness Month? It is a month dedicated to educating teens on preventing pregnancy.
A teen pregnancy is defined as any female between the ages of 15-19 who has had a live birth, abortion, or miscarriage. The birth rate for teenagers ages 15–19 declined by 3% in 2023 to 13.2 births per 1,000 females; the rate for younger teenagers (ages 15–17) was unchanged, and the rate for older teenagers (ages 18–19) declined by 3%. From provisional data in 2023. (1)
Pregnancy prevention starts with educating our teen population. As we all know, abstinence or not having sex at all, is the best birth control method to prevent pregnancy. Unfortunately, this method may not always be effective when in the moment. Therefore, it is important to know what options are available for birth control prior to being in this instance. There are many different options for birth control available. Even with talking about birth control options, most of these options do not include preventing of STDs with a condom which can also affect teens.
The different birth control choices are:
Above table (2)
If you are a teen or a parent of a teen, we are here for you. We hope to have a conversation about what your goals are so we can help you in the future. We know it can be an uncomfortable conversation, but let’s discuss all of your questions to help find the best option for you! Call your Women’s Health Specialists provider at (920) 749-4000 to schedule your appointment today.
References:
1. Birth Control – Virginia Women’s Center | Birth control methods, Birth control, Birth control options. (n.d.). Pinterest. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/196047390001290698/
2. Hamilton, B., Martin, J., & Osterman, M. (2024). Vital Statistics Rapid Release Births: Provisional Data for 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr035.pdf#:~:text=The%20birth%20rate%20for%20teenagers%20ages%2015%E2%80%9319%20declined