In America alone, four in ten girls will get pregnant at least once before reaching the age of twenty (ACLU). This astonishing statistic has thus spurred the heated discussion as to what the best and most ethical approach is to lowering the teen pregnancy rate. This debate continues to circle back to the question regarding how accessible birth control should be to young women and what kind of role parents should have in deciding whether or not their child goes on birth control. With so many teenagers having sex, birth control for young women should be just as easily accessible and promoted as condoms are for young men. Although there are reasonable arguments for both sides, the safest and most effective option is to allow teenagers access to birth control without the need for parental consent. Implementing parental consent for access to birth control increases the risk of pregnancy in teens due to differing opinions, religious beliefs, and parents that don't talk to their daughters about sex and contraception. Whether or not parental approval is given, teenagers can choose to engage in sexual intercourse so it is important that they are given the tools and the resources to practice safe sex. 

If teens were required to acquire parental consent before being able to obtain contraceptives, less young women would make effort to seek access to contraception. In Dr. Madeline Zavodny's report "Fertility and Parental Consent for Minors to Receive Contraceptives," she claims that making parental consent mandatory causes young women to change their behavior regarding contraceptives which in turn, leads to an increase in pregnancies and birth rates among young women. To prove this theory, Zavodny conducted a study in a suburban Illinois county that imposed a parental consent requirement (Zavodny 1347). Zavodny then compared the statistics of births and abortions to those of nearby counties that were not implementing this policy (Zavodny 1348). The results of Zavodny's study note a rise in the number of teenage pregnancies when parental consent was required to obtain birth control, clearly demonstrating that requiring parental consent will lead to an increase in teenage pregnancies (Zavodny 1350). In a survey conducted that was related to the study, Zavodny found that the majority of minors surveyed indicated that they would stop going to family planning clinics if parental consent was required to obtain birth control (Zavodny 1347). The argument that this requirement would benefit teenage girls is out of touch with reality because, as this study shows, parental consent in fact deters young women that would otherwise have taken the extra step to be safe and use contraception.

Parents of adolescent girls are some of the primary players in this ongoing argument, as they believe they have the right to make the final decision as to whether their child can go on birth control. A major concern is that by allowing teenagers to go on birth control without the need for parental involvement, parents will miss out on the opportunity to talk to their kids about sex and relationships ("Preventing Teenagers from Getting Contraceptives Unless They Tell a Parent"). However, Miriam Kauffman, a graduate from Duke University School of Medicine with multiple publications regarding teenage sexuality and reproduction, suggests that parents should begin discussing sex with their children at an early age rather than waiting until they are older (Kauffman). Part of this theory is that if parents embrace the concept of open communication, their child is more likely to come to them in the future with questions. Utilizing this method will also help to avoid having to give one long and likely uncomfortable conversation about sex in which most teenagers will probably be less responsive and less likely to get much out of it. In fact, an article published by American Civil Liberties nonprofit states that, "on average, young women in the U.S. have been sexually active for twenty-two months before their first visit to a family planning provider" ("Preventing Teenagers from Getting Contraceptives Unless They Tell a Parent"). This debunks the claim that the conversation between parents and children prior to obtaining birth control is crucial to the decisions teenagers make regarding whether or not to have sex. 

The conversations parents have with their children regarding contraception and the risks involved with having sex are based off of the opinions parents have regarding the effectiveness of birth control and condoms. A study conducted by three doctors -- Carolyne Swain, Lynn Ackerman, and Mark Ackerman -- surveyed one thousand parents of thirteen to seventeen year-olds with an aim to evaluate, "the direct and indirect relationships between parent and teen characteristics, parent effectiveness beliefs, and the amount of parent-teen communication about the negative consequences of sex and where to obtain birth control" (753.e9). The conversations parents have with their children regarding sex and contraception create a lasting impact, however some parents do not talk to their children as openly as other families do (Kaufman). There are many factors that play into the communication between children and their parents regarding sex such as religion, economic standing, political orientation, and ethnicity; all of which affect the way parents choose to have this conversation with their children (Swain, et al. 753.e9). For example, the study done by Swain and fellow doctors concluded that parents with "lower birth control effectiveness beliefs were related to less discussion with teens about where to obtain birth control but more discussion about the negative consequences of sex" (Swain, et al. 753.e9) Situations in which parents focus on the negative consequences of sex can create an environment in which children are less comfortable talking about sex (Swain, et al. 753.e9). Although it is good for parents to relay their opinions and knowledge on this subject, pointing out the negative aspects or being very brief on the subject may in turn deter some adolescents from talking to their parents about obtaining birth control or lead them to simply forgo the use of birth control all together. The study conducted by Swain, L. Ackerman, and M. Ackerman is evidence that implementing a policy requiring parental consent is not necessarily going to promote that teenagers have this conversation with their parents as communication concerning this topic can vary greatly from family to family. While some girls may decide to have this discussion with their parents in an effort to get access to birth control, there are also many young women that do not feel comfortable having this conversation. In the American Journal of Public Health, Dr. Zavodny asserts that a staggering fourty-seven percent of minors said they would choose to forgo getting birth control from family planning clinics and simply continue to have sex rather than talk about it with their parents (Zavodny 1351). In many cases, requiring parental consent will not change whether or not teens decide to have this conversation with their parents but rather will result in more young women avoiding birth control. It should be a child's decision whether or not they choose to disclose with their parents if they have decided to have sex. If a parent wants to be included in making this decision with their daughter, it should be their responsibility to talk openly about it and show their child that this is a discussion that they are willing to have rather than essentially having the government regulate conversations between young women and their parents.

Parental disapproval regarding birth control can also stem from religious beliefs such as the disapproval those affiliated with the Catholic Church have pertaining to birth control and premarital sex. However, two devout Catholics may interpret the bible completely differently. The common belief amongst Catholics is that birth control is sinful, but there are many other devoted Catholics that study more modern interpretations of the Bible and believe in the use of contraception. Melinda Gates, for example, is a churchgoing Catholic but she is also a renowned advocate for women's access to birth control (Gates). Despite the fact that she is affiliated with the Catholic Church, she addresses the importance of birth control for women around the world in her Ted Talk, "Let's put birth control back on the agenda" (Gates). She and her husband, Bill Gates, have created the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that focuses on solving extensive global issues such as women's access to birth control (Gates). Some Catholics may not agree with this translation, however religious freedom means that each individual has the right to exercise their own beliefs. This being said, while some children may grow up in devout Catholic families it is not uncommon that their viewpoints differ from that of their parents. When considering whether birth control is an option, many children growing up in Catholic families would not have this opportunity because of their parent's differing religious beliefs (Swain, et al. 753.e9). Thus, religion is yet another reason adolescent women seeking contraception will not have access to birth control if parental consent is enforced.

Many young women live in families where discussing sex is not accepted for a variety of reasons. Countless others are living in nontraditional and less than ideal situations -- with abusive parents, one parent, other relatives, or on their own. The relationships that children have with their parents play a huge role in whether or not teen girls decide to approach their parents regarding starting contraception (Swain, et al. 753.e9). Unfortunately, the relationships some children have with their parents are not healthy enough to ask for parental approval, if necessary. How fair is it to deny girls birth control solely because they don't feel safe getting parental consent? This hardly seems fair and Title X of the Public Health Service Act recognizes the rights all young women have and their right to confidentiality when seeking contraceptive services ("Title X: America's Family Planning Program"). In the Supreme Court Case Carey v. Population Services International, a New York law prohibiting the sale of condoms to adolescents under 16 was invalidated by minors' privacy rights ("Preventing Teenagers from Getting Contraceptives Unless They Tell a Parent"). The Court concluded that the "right to privacy in connection with decisions affecting procreation extends to minors as well as adults" ("Preventing Teenagers from Getting Contraceptives Unless They Tell a Parent"). Long-standing public health laws protect adolescent males and young women when seeking family planning methods. However, by invoking parental involvement, many other public health policies such as care for STDs without involving a parent are at risk of reversal as well ("Preventing Teenagers from Getting Contraceptives Unless They Tell a Parent").

Many individuals within American society often downplay a teenager's capability to act rationally and practice safe sex. Is this because the United States has such a high teen pregnancy rate? Dr. Amy Schalet, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a specialist on adolescent sexuality and culture, conducted a series of interviews with parents from both America and the Netherlands regarding their stance on their children having sex (Schalet). Schalet found that nine out of ten American parents stated that they would not allow their child's boyfriend or girlfriend to sleep over, while nine out of ten Dutch parents would permit their children to have sleepovers with the opposite gender (Shcalet). Astonishingly enough, the Netherlands has one of the lowest teen fertility rates in the world while American teens are around eight times more likely to get pregnant than a Dutch teenager is (Schalet). So why is the Netherland's approach to teenage sex so much more effective than America's? The Dutch have taken on a much more relaxed approach regarding teenage sex and have focused their efforts on making sure children are being safe rather than trying to avoid it all together, which is what most American parents try to do. Dutch professionals and parents try to stay away from telling young people to say "no" to sex, but rather teach teenagers how to act responsibly when they decide to become sexually active (Schalet). There is no restriction on access to birth control, allowing females to go to family planning clinics without the need for parental consent to obtain low cost contraceptives. This relaxed approach to teaching children about birth control and making it easily accessible for teens has actually encouraged children to talk with their parents and ask for their opinions before seeking contraception (Schalet).

After evaluating the reasons that parental consent should not be necessary for teenagers to obtain birth control, it is also very important to look at some of the issues teenage parents face once their child is born. In Cheryl Hayes' peer-reviewed book Risking the Future: Adolescent Sexuality, Pregnancy, and Childbearing, one of the chapters analyzes the different social and economic consequences of teenage childbearing (Hayes 123) Hayes found that the general sequence of events in a young woman's life is normally schooling, marriage, and childbearing in that order (Hayes 124). However, teenage pregnancy throws off the traditional order of events in one's life and usually the first thing to be affected by an unexpected pregnancy at such a young age is education. A large majority of teenagers that become pregnant drop out of school during their pregnancy or once the baby comes due to the stress of the responsibilities associated with raising a child (Hayes 125). The mothers that do stay in school during their pregnancy proved to be more successful down the line than those that dropped out, however they were still much less successful than their peers (Hayes 128). Another aspect of Hayes' study that shows a significant set back for early child bearers was their likelihood to have a larger family than a female that waited to get pregnant until she was in her later twenties (Hayes 133). Having a larger family at such a young age makes going back to work even more difficult with having to leave more kids at home. However, Hayes states that, "family size is a consistently important factor affecting labor force participation by the mother and per person availability of income" (Hayes 133). This demonstrates that young mothers with generally larger families tend to have to work more frequently to make a smaller amount of money than women who had the opportunity to finish school and get a degree, allowing them to get a better-paying job.

Ideally, birth control methods should be a shared responsibility between a woman and her partner, but if teenagers do decide to engage in sex it is important that all methods of contraception are readily available. In an effort to lower the rate of teen pregnancy, the United States needs to follow in Netherland's footsteps and take a step towards changing the conversation regarding sex and birth control. Placing a parental consent requirement on accessing birth control is only going to deter teenagers from seeking contraception and implementing this restriction on birth control could prove to cause more problems than intended as well as an increase in teen pregnancies. The conversation between parents and teens can be hindered by differing religious beliefs, disapproval, and different family situations. Thus, placing a requirement for parental consent on birth control is unrealistic and is not in the best interest of the health of teenagers.

