Should Teens Be Allowed To Obtain Birth Control

Most teenagers have been sexually active by the time they graduate high school. In 2009, forty-six percent of high school students reported having had sexual intercourse. Twenty percent of those students reported using a condom during their last intercourse, while thirteen percent reported no condom usage (“Sexual Activity” 1). Contraceptives, such as condoms and the oral birth control pill, prevent pregnancy and protect against sexually transmitted diseases. Contraceptives and other other medical care should be available to minors without parental consent. Preventing teens from obtaining birth control or medical care, such as STD screening and treatment, without parental consent will not decrease sexual activity, but in turn, make it more dangerous. Teenagers will continue to engage in sexual actives regardless of whiter or not contraceptives are available. Ninety-nine percent of teens reported they

It is written in the constitution that all teens have the right to privacy when purchasing contraception or receiving medical care (“Preventing Teens from Getting Contraception” 5). In the case of Carey v. Population Services International, the Supreme Court relied on minors’ rights to invalidate a New York law prohibiting the sale of condoms to minors (“Preventing Teens from Getting Contraception” 6). Almost all fifty states have passed laws that allow minors to seek medical treatment for sexually transmitted disease and access to contraceptives (Preventing Teens from Getting Contraceptives. 6). Even in the few states that have not already mandated confidential care, teens still have the right to access care without parental consent. The courts have repeatedly ruled that required parental consent conflicts with the basic privacy rights of teenagers. Forcing parental involvement will infringe on the rights of minors and disrupt medical