13
The Use of Contraception
Research shows that when teens do have sex, many use some
type of protection against pregnancy and STDs, most common-
ly condoms or birth control pills. The CDC reports that about 60
percent of sexually active teens used a condom the last time
they had sex, and almost 20 percent used birth control pills. A
study published in
Women’s Health Issues
in 2014 also shows
that the majority of teens seem to be using contraception. In
that study, researchers analyzed data about the sexual activ-
ity of thousands of people from 1982 to 2010. They found that
the average age for young women in the United States to first
have sex is about seventeen years old. Also, when compared to
1982, more are using contraceptives when they first have sex.
Overall, they report that almost three-quarters of sexually ac-
tive women say they used contraception the first time they had
sex. However, the researchers also
found that contraceptive use among
Hispanic women lags significantly
behind that of other ethnicities.
Even though many teens say they
use some type of contraception, a lot
of them do not use it every time they
have sex or do not use it properly.
Contraceptives work only when they
are used—and used correctly. For in-
stance, birth control pills need to be
taken every day, and condoms must
cover the entire penis and, to avoid
possible tears, must not have any air
bubbles. Dr. Rima Himelstein explains
that when teens get excited, busy,
or distracted, they sometimes forget
about contraception or use it improperly. She says, “Condoms,
birth control pills, the patch and the vaginal ring only work if they
are used correctly. Between school, texting, sports, homework,
texting, friends, Facebook, texting, music, eating, texting and
sometimes sleeping, our teens R 2 BZ!”
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Inconsistent or improper
use of contraception puts teens at risk for STDs and pregnancy.
“Between school,
texting, sports,
homework, texting,
friends, Facebook,
texting, music,
eating, texting
and sometimes
sleeping, our
teens R 2 BZ [to
use contraception
properly]!”
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—Dr. Rima Himelstein.
