Pros And Cons Of Birth Control

Sixty percent of women are currently using some type of non-permanent contraceptive; more specifically, 2.5 million teens who are sexually active are currently using non-permanent contraceptives (Contraceptive Use). Of the minors using birth control as a contraceptive, many are using birth control for menstrual management. Many teenage and adult women experience a variety of symptoms along with menstruation. Some symptoms include nausea, cramps, migraines, and etc. Many women use birth control to aid in controlling their menstrual symptoms and understandably so. The problem at hand is that many minors are being given birth control too frivolously by doctors, although minors have the rights to birth control; birth control should be preceded

Pediatricians will listen to the patient’s symptoms and possibly write a prescription before speaking in depth to the patient. Cori, a sixteen-year-old girl, went to her pediatrician complaining of menstrual pain, her doctor did not ask any questions regarding past medical history, personal history, or if she was sexually active. Then, she left her doctor’s office with a prescription for birth control and had little to no knowledge of any long term effects of the prescription and its side effects. A few months later, she returned to her doctor complaining of stomach pains. Three months later, after seeing numerous other doctors, she discovered that she had Irritable Bowel Syndrome which was a pre-existing condition that was exacerbated by the new hormones. This is a prime example as to why a minor should be even more thoroughly examined than an adult woman, before given a prescription affecting their hormones, especially since puberty may still be

Minors can claim to have these symptoms to receive the medication, pretending so that insurance can cover or to avoid the “sex-talk.” Teenage girls who are seeking misguided attention hear that some side-effects of birth control are: larger breasts, weight gain/loss, and missed periods; this entices them for the wrong reasons. These reasons can be easily avoided by pretending to have the other symptoms; which many girls do. When young teen girls hear of the side effects, they are unaware that harmful consequences can occur if misused. A young girl can try to take more than necessary and abuse the prescription, hoping to see some of the positive benefits in their