Erin Jones

ENG 112 DL04 & DLO6

11/18/2014
Professor Karyn Pallay

The most effective form of birth control for teen girls

Being a teenage girl is hard these days when trying to navigate an ever-changing dynamic
world that we all live in today. One of the hard decisions that all teen girls ultimately make is
whether or not to be sexually active. Teen girls that do decide to take that route should have
some form of birth control to prevent unexpected pregnancies. So choosing a reliable birth
control during this stage of their life is crucial if they plan to have a successful future. Choosing
to use the IUD or an Implanted Contraceptive is by far the best and easiest form of birth control
for teenage girls. Through reading and careful thought, I am sure you too will agree.
For teen girls trying to decide which is best for them, they generally go for the birth control
that is most easy to use. Abstinence is when there is no penetrative sex at all, there for the girl
cannot get pregnant. The male condom is one of the easiest to use, the male places the
condom over his genital, creating a barrier. The female condom works the same but it is
inverted inside for the girl creating the same type of barrier that the male condom does. The
pill is very easy to use; all you do is take it at the same time of day, every day with water. The
birth control patch is placed on the body. The diaphragm is a silicone or rubber disk that can be
placed in by you, that covers the cervix during sex. The Depo-Provera shot is a shot that a
woman would have to go to a healthcare provider to get the shot; it cannot be done at home.
The Nuva ring can be inserted in by you, and can stay in. The IUD and implant are both
surgically placed into the body, just under the skin or in the uterus. Withdraw is simply when
the male pulls out before his sperm is released. Rhythm knows when the woman herself is
1

Erin Jones
ENG 112 DL04 & DLO6
11/18/2014
Professor Karyn Pallay

aware of when she is fertile. No method at all, is no form of birth control or barrier. So thats
generally how they work, however this is only one of many important things to know when
choosing. There are many more important factors that come into play.
The effectiveness of birth control is extremely important to know when choosing, and there
are many to choose from that can be very effective or not very effective at all. There are two
types of IUDs, the first being Intrauterine and contraceptive implants. The Intrauterine can
either use copper and hormones and the contraceptive implant uses hormones or copper, they
both have an effectiveness rate of 99%. The Implant has an effectiveness rate of 99% as well.
Generally the Hormonal IUD can last from 3-7 years depending on which brand you pick, and is
placed in by a health care provider. The Copper IUD last longer that the hormonal IUD and can
be left in up to 12 years. The contraceptive implant has the shortest longevity out of all of
them, lasting up to 3 years. All of them can be removed at any given time and the teen/woman
can get pregnant right after its removed. They are often thought of as Set and forget birth
control (MedlinePlus 1). Human error is one of the biggest reasons why other forms of birth
control fail. Teens lead such a complicated life between balancing school, part-time jobs,
extracurricular activities, social life, and family, it can be hard to remember to take other forms
of birth control like the pill. The Pill is a great form of birth control but is as only effective if you
remember to take it at the correct time. Working from 91-99, some teens/women cannot not
take them depending upon certain medical problems or by taking certain medications. The
Nuva ring has an effectiveness of 98%, and like the pill it has to be used correctly. The patch is
hormonal and the effectiveness rate is 91-99%, each patch last up to one week before
2

Erin Jones
ENG 112 DL04 & DLO6
11/18/2014
Professor Karyn Pallay

replacing. The Depo-Provera is a hormonal shot that has an effectiveness rate of 99% like the
IUD, the shot last longing only needing to get the shot every three months. Condoms are one of
the most favorable contraceptives used. The male condom has an effectiveness of 85-98%, the
female condom has the same effectiveness too, but is less used. There are many more like the
diaphragm 81-94%, Rhythm method 75-88%, Spermicides 71-85%, which can be used with
other contraceptives increasing their effectiveness. Lastly no method has not effectiveness rate.
The failure rate is also just as important as the effectiveness. For the IUD and Contraceptive
implant the chance of getting pregnant for the IUD Copper at 0.08%, the IUD Levonorgestrel
(hormone) at 0.20%, and the Contraceptive implant at 0.05, all have less than a 1% failure rate.
, the pill has a failure rate of 9% percent due to mostly human error. There are a lot responsible
teens out there that can take the pill and not forget, but to make mistakes is what it is to be
human. The Nuva ring has a failure rate of 9%, The Depo-shot has a failure rate of 6%. The male
condom has a failure of 18%, due to the fact that it can tear during sexual intercourse or can
have defects even before used. Withdraw has a failure rate of 22%, mainly because semen can
come out through the male during sexual intercourse. The diaphragm has a failure rate of 12%,
Rhythm has a failure rate of 24%. Spermicides have a failure rate of 28%, and lastly not method
has a failure rate of 85%, which no health professional would recommend doing unless you are
prepared and ready to have a baby.
Side effects come with every contraceptive out there, and can cause some serious health
issues if you are not careful in your choice of choosing and doing a bit of research on your end.

Erin Jones
ENG 112 DL04 & DLO6
11/18/2014
Professor Karyn Pallay

The IUD and Contraceptive implants all have side effects normally consist of very rare damage
to the uterus, light period/no period at all, and like all birth controls, do not protect against HIV
or STIs. The IUD and implant are also good for stopping cramps and heavy bleeding, that is
actually a positive thing girls that suffer with that, wouldnt mind not having anymore for a
while. That is not to say though to not have safe sex, there is not one form of birth control that
can stop STIs and HIV, every sexually active girl should still be knowledgeable about what is out
there. The pill side effects can improve PMS, acne, decrease periods, cramps, prevents cancer
of the ovaries, and you can become pregnant right after stopping to take them. The Nuva ring
has just about the same side effects as the pill, but can put the woman at high risk of blood
clotting. The Depo-Provera shot side effects such as tiredness, weight gain, irregular bleeding,
and possible loss of bone density, and you have to remember to see a health care professional
every three months. The Depo-Provera shot can also decrease periods, and helps prevent
cancer of the uterus, and can be used while breast feeding. The only side effects of the male
and female condom are latex allergy which can irritate the skin and cause a bad allergic
reaction depending on the person using them. The diaphragm side effects are that they can be
irritating to use, using Spermicides can actually increase the risk of getting HIV, and raises the
risk of getting a bladder infection. The patch side effects are mostly skin irritation, and does not
protect against HIV or other STIs. Withdraw, side effects are that it can be less pleasurable,
higher risk of getting a STI or HIV, and you can get pregnant very easily. Rhythm and no method
have the same side effects and do not protect against HIV or STIs.

Erin Jones
ENG 112 DL04 & DLO6
11/18/2014
Professor Karyn Pallay

The cost is another important thing to know when choosing, and depending on your health
insurance it can be either costly or free. Depending on what bran of the pill you are using and
insurance coverage, the cost can range from 15-50$ a month, which is not bad at all. The price
for using the pill a year would be around 160-600$, the patch is the same. Condoms are the
cheapest, usually costing between 20 cents per condom, and can be purchased over the
counter. The average person could spend around 150$ a year. The diaphragm cost around 1575$, spending up to 60$ a year. The Nuva ring cost is 15-50$ a month, you need a prescription
to use one and doctor visits. Annually a person can expect to spend around 160-600$ a year.
The Depo-Provera shot can cost 35-75$ per shot, and annually per year it can cost anywhere
from 230-460$. IUDs and contraceptive implants are the most expensive of all. The cost usually
from 500-1,000$, that mean its annual is around 100$, cheaper than condoms because they last
so long. Abstinence, no method, and Rhythm are all free; you just need to be careful and
knowledgeable about what you are doing.
In my opinion, I would choose to use the IUDs or implants. Though there hasnt been an
official recommendation of IUDs as a first line choice for birth control, it has been
recommended from many health professionals. The American Academy of Pediatrics state that
IUDs should be the first choice that every teenage girls should choose and learn about before
ultimately deciding to choose other cheaper, and less effective forms of birth control
(MedlinePlus 1). There has been decades worth of research that shows that IUDs/ Implants
are safe for teens to use. Its really about getting the word and setting a trend that this form of
birth control is pretty much amazing to use. Luckily due to the Affordable Care Act, most health
5

Erin Jones
ENG 112 DL04 & DLO6
11/18/2014
Professor Karyn Pallay

insurance companies cover the full cost of IUD/ Implants, so cost shouldnt be an issue that
should stop teens for choosing to use it (US News 1). Its all about learning, and choosing what
is really ideal for a teenage girl and what fits into their lifestyle. Its much better to go through a
minor procedure than suffer the consequences of an unexpected pregnancy due to human
error.
All of the contraceptives out there can be great or not so great to use, some better than
others. It is all about using what is most effective, knowing the failure rate, health risk, cost, and
then deciding for yourself which one better fits your life style. IUDs are in fact the best
effective form of birth control for teen girls out there. The biggest down side to the
IUD/Contraceptive implant is that it is not well known or as accessible as a condom or pill.
Teens in reality would rather opt for something easier to take or use in the heat of the moment,
than to really take a look at better more reliable options. But opting for whats easier or rather
what is less embarrassing to use is not the way go when making a important decisions like this.
Every teen girl has to think about this and deiced for themselves based on what is factually the
best form of birth control.

Erin Jones
ENG 112 DL04 & DLO6
11/18/2014
Professor Karyn Pallay

Works Cited
"Center for Young Women's Health." Center for Young Womens Health. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
<http://youngwomenshealth.org/2014/02/27/contraception/>.
"Contraception." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/UnintendedPregnancy/Contraception.htm>.
"Pediatricians Endorse IUDs, Implants for Teen Birth Control: MedlinePlus." U.S National
Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_148621.html>.
"Prepregnancy Contraceptive Use Among Teens with Unintended Pregnancies Resulting in Live
Births Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), 20042008."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 20 Jan. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6102a1.htm>.
"The Best Birth Control Method for Your Teenage Daughter." New Republic. Web. 12 Nov.
2014. <http://www.newrepublic.com/article/119631/pediatricians-iuds-are-mosteffective-birth-control>.
"Your Birth Control Choices." Your Birth Control Choices. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.reproductiveaccess.org/fact_sheets/bc_choices.htm>.

Erin Jones
ENG 112 DL04 & DLO6
11/18/2014
Professor Karyn Pallay

"The Real Cost of Birth Control - US News." US News RSS. 5 Mar. 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.
<http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/alpha-consumer/2012/03/05/the-real-cost-ofbirth-control>.

MLA formatting by BibMe.org.