Debate Around Access of Birth Control to Teenage Girls

One of the most awkward situations a teen has to go through is the “sex talk” with their parents. One of the biggest fears from parents and teens is the high risk of becoming pregnant after intercourse. There are several methods to prevent unexpected pregnancy such as an implant, sponge, and condoms. One of the most convenient however is the pill. Birth control should be easily accessible to everyone despite the cost or parent approval.Debate Around Access of Birth Control to Teenage Girls

When talking about why birth control should be easily accessible, it is important to understand what it is and learn about its history. Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the birth control pill as, “any of various preparations, usually containing both a progestin and an estrogen, taken orally especially on a daily basis, and act as contraceptives typically preventing ovulation by suppressing secretion of gonadotropins”. Overall can be described as a pill taken to prevent pregnancy. In the 1950’s Margaret Sanger with the help of Gregory Pincus started the long road to creating the first birth control pill. Sanger met Pincus at a dinner party in New York and knowing his reputation knew he would be perfect to help her (Nikolchev 1). The women who were used in testing were typically rape victims who could not afford to provide for their children. Research goes on to say that many of the tests did not meet the standards of today’s testings. They did, however, test this pill just as thoroughly as they do today. By 1957 the pills were FDA approved for the regulation of menstrual cycles. The approval was a huge victory for Sanger. By 1959, 500,000 women were using this form of contraception to regulate periods while benefiting from its prevention of unexpected pregnancy. It was not until 1960 that the FDA approved it to be sold strictly for its contraceptive abilities. Today, for every 100 women who use this method, about nine will become pregnant in relevance to showing how far along we have come (Planned Parenthood 2). Birth control has numerous positive effects on women and their health. We should make this pill easier accessible to women of all ages.Debate Around Access of Birth Control to Teenage Girls