Essay Example on Teen Pregnancies: Unlocking Access to Non-Prescribed Oral Contraception

Introduction

Oral contraception should be availed without prescription to teenage girls. The strategy will improve access and efficiency of controlling teenage pregnancies. Most adolescent pregnancies are linked to low-income families, high school dropouts, and cases of substance abuse. Financial burden of teenage pregnancy further raises concerns on the need to have non-prescribed oral contraception. Therefore, adolescents should access every form of prevention methods from unwanted pregnancy. To achieve the goals, then over-the-counter contraceptives should be availed at any time. Labeling and contraindication guides should promote the efficient use of drugs. Although a proper prescription is critical in facilitating efficacy of any drugs, it is costly and time-consuming. Besides, visiting a physician to get a prescription is expensive. It also acts as an obstacle to the timely prevention of pregnancy.

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Discussion

Davtyan (2000) pointed out that over-counter birth control bills should be available to all teenage girls. The step will reduce the high rates of teenage pregnancies. Moreover, the current issues linked to adolescent pregnancies are life-threatening, and this requires both short-term and long term solutions since the rate of teenage births in the U.S has risen significantly. The age specified for active sexual activity raises questions on whether contraceptives should be availed without prescription.

Acquiring a prescription requires one to visit a physician, yet this is expensive for any person with no income. A similar issue affects teenage girls. According to Davtyan (2000), 83% of adolescent mothers come from low-income families. A similar case is noted for most teenagers who commit abortion. Having a child at a teenage age triggers many issues. For instance, it interrupts with education. The other issue is that at the teenage most adolescence lack source of income, and most of them are still pursuing education (Kennedy et al., 2019). Therefore, the lack of financial and stable support contributes to poverty. One in every five adolescents is sexually active in the US. Analysis done by the author showed that 50 percent of the girls give birth while 30% commit abortion (Davtyan, 2000). The research has also shown that 80% of teenage pregnancies are unplanned (Kennedy et al., 2019). Therefore, availing contraceptives without prescription will play a vital role in controlling the rising rates of unplanned teenage pregnancies.

Kennedy et al. (2019) pointed out that availing contraceptive methods to teenage girls and women is essential in maintaining well-being and autonomy. Oral contraceptives are effective in preventing pregnancies. However, access has been limited due to regulations that vary from one state to another. Different regulatory criteria should be followed in different countries. Furthermore, the medication should be provided by the pharmacy staff. WHO should support the strategy by providing a guideline on how the drugs and contraceptives should be taken without prescription.

The strict control of oral contraceptives in the US continues to hinder many teenage girls. One of the reasons is for safety concerns. Kennedy et al. (2019) argued that, some of the reasons for strict medical control of oral contraceptives were raised for safety concerns. In some cases, prescription measures are vital for efficacious use. However, neither safety nor other issues affect prescription for oral contraceptives. Education should be provided for girls to screen themselves about the danger signs of oral contraceptives. Furthermore, the current packaging and selling design play a vital role in ensuring the safe and effective use of contraceptives.

Conclusion

Seeking a prescription is a long process. Many adolescents will avoid such, and this threatens their sexual health. On an occasion that pregnancy occurs, they may seek different abortion methods. This is a challenge in many states where abortion is prohibited. As a result, pregnancy exposes many teens to life-threatening risk is associated with adolescents.

References

Davtyan C. (2000). Evidence-based case review. Contraception for adolescents. The Western journal of medicine, 172(3), 166–171. https://doi.org/10.1136/ewjm.172.3.166

Kennedy, C. E., Yeh, P. T., Gonsalves, L., Jafri, H., Gaffield, M. E., Kiarie, J., & Narasimhan, M. L. (2019). Should oral contraceptive pills be available without a prescription? A systematic review of over-the-counter and pharmacy access availability. BMJ global health, 4(3), e001402. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001402