Why Is This Important?

Birth control access for minors is important throughout the United States. However, each individual state has different laws and policies about prescribing contraceptives for minors. According to contracept.org twenty one states allow minors to be prescribed contraceptives without parental permission. Three states allow minors to consent to contraceptives for health hazardous reasons. Ten states allow contraceptives if requirements are met such as: being a high school graduate, demonstrating maturity or reaching a certain age. Contraceptives are widely used in the United States and not all minors have the right to advocate for them due to certain restrictions.

Minors that want to be on contraceptives usually need to obtain parental consent before the doctor can actually prescribe the medications. However, minors who need parental consent don’t feel comfortable asking their parent/guardian if they can be put on contraceptives. Minors in high school should be able to self advocate for themselves because it is their body. Why would they need parental consent if they’re being responsible for themselves? Also, asking for parental consent may result in family issues: having to do with if they are having sex or if they are pregnant. Some states have the highest rate of teen pregnancies because they don’t provide contraceptive services to minors, which is a very big problem. If we want to prevent teen pregnancy than we should provide contraceptive services.

According to tribive.com teen pregnancy rates decreases over time when minors are prescribed contraceptives. Minors are also able to take advantage of the opportunity to have access to contraceptive services without parental consent. In 2010 over $9.4 billion have been spent on teen childbearing due to teen pregnancy. Texas has the fourth highest teen pregnancy rate in the country, over 40,000 teens have had kids. Texas has restrictive access to birth control, which may be the main reason why the teen pregnancy rate is so high. Teen pregnancy is a big issue in this country, contraceptives being prescribed to minors will help prevent and decrease the teen pregnancy rate throughout the United States of America.