Teens are urged not to use contraception by their partners, according to research by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy announced earlier this month. While the
campaign promotes abstinence as the best option for preventing sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, it calls for more aggressive messages about contraception to motivate
teens to be more sexually responsible.
Drinking and taking drugs are the main reasons teens do not use contraception, according to more than 50% of teens surveyed. The survey also highlighted how the issue of
contraception generates mixed, and often, discrepant attitudes. For instance:
- nearly 90% of teens think it is important to use contraception every time they have sex, yet another industry survey showed that 31% of teen girls were unprotected the
last time they had sex; and - one-third of teens who use contraception do so inconsistently.
The campaign also highlights that teaching teens about contraception does not make them more prone to have sex.
(National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Bill Albert, 202/261-5591, http://www.teenpregnancy.org)