Birth Control Argumentative Essay

Birth control is a controversial issue when it concerns teenagers, who we often consider as children. As of 2014, teenage pregnancy rates are at an all-time low in America- but the United States still has the highest teen birth rate in the industrialized world. (U.S Department of Health and Human Services). The use of contraceptives has served to decrease the rate of teenage pregnancy, but there are still restrictions on young girls, who are forbidden in purchasing their own products. Despite the risk, birth control helps to develop responsibility in young teens, it is much safer than the alternative, and it is effective.
Teenagers are not exactly known for their restraint and maturity. It is no surprise that parents do not want their kids to have the kind of accountability that comes with being sexually active. In a survey done by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), fewer than half of high schools and only …show more content…
That it cannot guarantee complete protection, and only encourages sex in young teenagers. This is not the case, as studies have continuously proven that birth control is effective.One such study was done by the Office of Adolescent Health, reporting, “The teen pregnancy rate declined by 51 percent- from 116.9 to 57.4 pregnancies per 1,000 teen girls.”This steady decline can only be attributed to the most recent and updated forms of birth control that effectively prevent pregnancies and STDs.A compromise proposed by schools and parents is to offer contraceptives and sex ed classes later in high school, but as shown by these statistics, it may be too late by then.A study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 41 percent of young people in New York City said they were sexually active by the 9th grade.So to prevent STDs and pregnancies, it is important that we provide teenagers with birth control at an early age, and the education to use