Danielle Davis

Mr.T
English 1301.31
October 13,2016

Davis 1

Should Birth Control Be Allowed to Teenage Girls Without Prescription?

It has been a century since the opening of the first birth control clinic in the United States by
Margaret Sanger. Since the opening of the first birth control clinic in the U.S, and even long
before then, there has always been a very heated and rather intense debate about the availability
of birth control to the American female public. Over the past hundred years, the process of
obtaining female contraception has become a fairly easy process versus when the product first
was made available. In the United States today all that is required for any birth control is merely
a prescription. The sex culture of todays society is a huge contrast from the early twentieth
century. With that being said, teenage girls should be allowed to acquire birth control without a
perception because this will prevent any accidental pregnancies. Removing the need for
prescriptions also makes getting birth control much easier. Eliminating many problems before
they begin. Lastly, a prescription shouldnt be required because this is a young adult taking
initiative, responsibility and accountability of their sex lives.
In an article published by teen vogue, according to a study released by SuperDrug Online Doctor
using the statistic of the CDC, on average females began having sex at seventeen years old. In
another study by the CDC, in 2013 59% of sexually active students used some form of protection
or contraceptive. However, of that 59% who used a contraceptive only 19% of females reported
that they used some form of contraceptive whether it had been shots, pills, or IUD. This is a huge
disappointment on the female behalf. If birth control was obtainable without prescription like
male contraceptives, this rate would be much higher. Females should not have to acquire a
prescription at all. That is like saying you need a permission slip for being responsible and
proactive over your body. It is completely absurd. There should not be a strenuous process of

Danielle Davis
Mr.T
English 1301.31
October 13,2016

Davis 1

going to visit the doctor only to get some form of contraceptive. It should be provided over the
counter. Females getting any contraceptive what so ever is displaying that this female is taking
affirmative action in not only her health but prevention of any unnecessary pregnancy.
Unintentional pregnancies are another major key factor as into why prescriptions should not be
required for birth control. Teen pregnancy in 2014 according to the CDC reduced 9% from the
previous year. However, the United States teen pregnancy rate is drastically higher than many
other western developed countries in the world. It should not all rest on the male to be the one to
use some sort of prevention method against pregnancy. There is no statistic needed to state the
simple fact that when most people begin having sex they are in no way shape or form in any state
to take care of and provide for a child. Teen pregnancy can be avoided and should be. With the
elimination of prescriptions for birth control, this can be avoided even further and much easier.
This would not be such a huge problem if there was no need for a prescription. Many teenagers
have to depend on themselves or peers when it comes to anything relating to the topic of sex.
Some teenagers do not have understanding or open parents to turn to in regards of sex questions,
concerns, or methods of protection and contraception. That being said, because of the lack of
parental support, some teenagers are unable to even go to the doctor to get a prescription let
alone contraception. Although there are other measures that can be taken to prevent pregnancy
birth control is a very effective way for females to prevent it themselves.
Like I mentioned before, a teenager in general seeking any form of birth control is a positive and
responsible decision. This gives a teenager the chance to feel a sense of responsibility and
teaches them how to be accountable for their actions. This also establishes a sense of

Danielle Davis
Mr.T
English 1301.31
October 13,2016

Davis 1

independence. Making this of easier access to teenagers is a great benefit to the community as a
whole. Would you like to prevent the problem before it starts?

Work Cited
1. Elizabeth Rosenthal Is It Time for Off-the-Shelf Birth-Control Pills? April 20, 2013
The New York Times Accessed: October 11, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/sunday-review/is-it-time-for-off-the-shelf-birth-controlpills.html
This article gave me the grounds for my argument by creating a back drop to the issue at hand.
The text provided me with both pros and cons of prescriptions for birth control. The article also
gave me insight on how others feel towards the topic. The article was about birth control and the
heated debate surrounding the topic.
2. Vera Papisova Find Out When Most Teens Are Losing Their Virginity September 30,2015
Teen Vogue Accessed: October 11, 2016
http://www.teenvogue.com/story/teens-losing-virginity-age
This article helped me by providing link to another website with credible sources and statistics.
This article also helped provide a platform for me to get my initial claim off the ground and from
there elaborate. This article was about on average when teens started having sex and other first
time sex related topics.

Danielle Davis
Mr.T
English 1301.31
October 13,2016

Davis 1

3. The American Virgin; First Time Sex Trends of U.S Males and Females
Author: ? Date Published: ? Affiliation: ?
Date Accessed: October 11, 2016
https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/american-virgin/
This article was about teen sex and contraception use. This website helped me by giving me a
long list of statistics about sex and use of protection amongst other things in regards to a teens
sex life. Although I could not find anything about when it was published, who was the author, or
whom the article was associated with, the data stated was credible from credible websites.
4. Contraceptive Use
What percentage of sexually active teens report using a condom or another birth control method
at last intercourse?
Author: ? Date Published: ? Affiliation: ReCAPP
Date Accessed: October 11, 2016
http://recapp.etr.org/recapp/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.StatisticsDetail&PageID=556
Website gave facts, percentages and statistics in an easy to find format. Everything was laid out
efficiently and was thorough. Information was about the use of contraceptives by the teenage
community. This is another site where I couldnt find much information on the author and when
this was initially published.

Danielle Davis
Mr.T
English 1301.31
October 13,2016

Davis 1

5. Teen Pregnancy in the United States

Author: ? Date Published: April 26, 2016 Affiliation: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/
This was rather very informative providing me with the necessary facts and statistics to
formulate and support one of my claims. This source gave me an in depth analysis of the teen
pregnancy issue in the United States providing me with graphs and percentages.