The Sex Talk With Teens Needs To Cover A Lot More Than Birth Control
WSFT media trained member Dr. Robin Pierucci draws on her experiences of working with young, teen moms to challenge the new guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) concerning teen girls. From Robin’s article:
“In ACOG’s newly published recommendations, the theory is that if physicians would just inform more girls about contraceptives “before they become sexually active, or early on in their sexually active life,” then they would choose a contraceptive lifestyle and be better off.
In the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), I’ve seen a different reality. One of my patients’ mothers, who was in high school when she gave birth, was the latest of her multiple sisters to become pregnant prior to graduation. She knows all about contraception. She does not know for sure who the baby’s father was.
Another teenage patient, who also knew all about contraception, quietly sobbed on my shoulder, simply saying she hoped this baby was someone who would love her.
Early instructions from a physician about how to engage in uncommitted sex did not “empower” these young women. Providing more instructions even earlier isn’t likely going to help either.”
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