Abstract

The risks of unprotected teenage sexual intercourse are of global concern and arguments on whether or not they should seek parental consent when acquiring contraceptives occur. It should be legal for any teenager of eighteen years and below to obtain contraceptives without legal permission from their parents. This is because some parents are deemed to be violent and may, therefore, hurt their teenage children once they realize that they are sexually active and that they want to access contraception. Additionally, these teenagers are prone to practice risky abortion procedures because some of the parents my force them to do so to avoid negative perception from other people which, therefore, breeds shame. Teenagers should not seek consent because their health tends to be affected. The female teenager’s health is the ones at risk because they get unwanted pregnancy when it could have been avoided when they were allowed to access birth control pills. Parental confidentiality is considered to be relevant to the teenager’s contraceptive care because it prevents negative issues arising from the same.

Conclusion

Ever since the introduction of the emergency pill during the 1960s, issues about contraception and rules, as well as consents which surround them has been at the front position of social and health debate. There is no evidence that refusal to provide contraception to the teenagers (15-19 years) by requiring parental notification and consent leads to postponement or abstinence of sexual activity. The fact is these teenagers experiences life-threatening effects when they are required to get parental consent before using contraceptives. Parental consent is the main reason why they delay or hesitate to obtain contraceptive or family planning services. Placing barriers on teen access to contraception is dangerous to the welfare and health of teenage women because it increases their risks of unplanned pregnancies. It is of much importance when the pediatricians develop a policy which assures confidentiality for the teenagers. State standards and requirements should be reviewed, and standardized office protocols for privacy should be implemented for patients, staff, and parents as well. Information regarding seeking parental consent must be waived. Pediatricians play an important role in adolescent reproductive health care by spreading awareness and providing guidance to them. They can help to spread awareness because they can help the teenagers identify their own goals for responsible and safe sexual behavior, which includes abstinence. For those teenagers who are already engaged in sexual intercourse or those contemplating to have sexual intercourse, it is essential to discuss with them about different methods of contraception and ways to prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI). Pediatricians should also spread awareness by prescribing oral contraceptives before the first pelvic examination. The teaching of responsible sexual decision-making requires active dialogue, careful listening, and skillful history taking, and repeated simple information which contains essential messages. While programs with federal planning money are outlawed from requiring parental consent for teen services, teenagers also have a constitutional right to privacy which encompasses their decisions to obtain contraception, a right that lawmakers are expected to acknowledge and respect.