When statistics say that there are about 745,000 teen pregnancies in the U.S. each year, the birth control pill does sound faulty. Top doctors now recommend implants and IUDs for birth control in teens, saying these are the most effective.
A new update on birth control for teenage girls from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists puts IUDs and hormonal implants ahead of other types of contraception. In fact, doctors urge that IUDs and implants should be the “first-line recommendations” when it comes to birth control in teens.
“It is for the first time that top doctors recommend an alternative for the birth control pill that is so invasive. Although more than one third of teenagers 15 to 19 are having sex, intrauterine devices and hormonal implants do sound a bit too much.
Add to this the fact that younger women, and women who have never had a baby more frequently experience IUD explusion (which they may or may not realize has happened) and have to undergo surgery for their Paragard or mirena IUD removal, then the suggestion for IUD use among teenagers seems even more extreme. Not to mention that if one’s IUD is expelled without realization of the fact, pregnancy can occur! “
At the moment, the pill is by far the most popular form of contraception in the United States. But it’s not necessarily for its bullet-proof results. In fact, the cost is what makes the birth control pill so popular, because when it comes to efficiency, in some cases, it is only 91 percent any good.
According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, 17 percent of women use the pill and just as many took on sterilization, but only 10 percent are using condoms. On the other hand current use of IUD and hormonal implants is low, seeing as these imply invasive procedures and major costs.
It is for the first time that top doctors recommend an alternative for the birth control pill that is so invasive. Although more than one third of teenagers 15 to 19 are having sex, intrauterine devices and hormonal implants do sound a bit too much.
IUDs are small devices that are placed in the uterus. There are two types of intrauterine devices, one that uses hormones and lasts for 5 years, and another one that lasts up to 10 years and does not release hormones. Made from copper, the IUD actually modifies the chemistry in the uterus, making it an environment where sperm can’t resist.
Hormonal implants are put under the skin of the arm. They release levonorgestrel, a type of hormone that is also in the birth control pill. The hormone inhibits the release of the egg from the ovaries.
While doctors say that today’s IUDs are safe, back in the 1970s many women claimed such a device caused infections and pelvic inflammatory disease. The maker sold the Dalkon Shield IUD to millions of women, and when lawsuits piled the company went bankrupt. It’s the sort of account that makes older doctors wary about promoting IUDs before other contraceptive methods, especially when it comes to birth control in teens.
