Birth Control in Public Schools

Since President Carter placed teenage childbearing high on the domestic agenda in 1977, the

United States has continued to highlight the severity of teenagers becoming pregnant, from shows such

as “Teen Mom” to controversial political debates (Furstenberg 1). The epidemic of teenage pregnancy

spread, as did its consequences. These consequences are not confined to the young girls. Instead, they

are felt nationwide, classifying teenage pregnancy as a pressing public issue. The teenage birth rate

continues to make its decline, however the United States still ranks high compared to other developed

nations (“Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing”). Efforts to fix this issue have been implemented

and some schools have even taken it a step further- providing birth control to students. This idea of

teenage girls having the opportunity to access birth control in the comfort of their school clinics remains

under heated debate. While some argue this is a progressive solution to a dated issue, many question its

implications on girls health and the morality of distributing hormone altering medication, often without

parental consent.

Twenty years ago, Baltimore public schools were the first to provide birth control, specifically

Norplant, to their students. The health department spent over sixty thousand dollars on this program

alone. Many parents were triggered by state law legalizing the birth control to be distributed without

their consent. Despite the backlash, the program has not stood in tact for no reason. From just 2009 to

2014 alone, Baltimore’s teen pregnancy rates were cut by one-third (Green and Richman). The Seattle

Public School system is another guinea pig involved with school-provided birth control. Due to funds

provided by the nonprofit “Neighborhood Health”, LARCs have been available to Seattle’s middle and

high school students. LARC is short for long lasting, reversible, contraception. Examples include IUDs and

hormonal implants. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists named LARCs as “the most

effective ways for teenage girls to avoid unintended pregnancy” (Andrews). Girls may make birth control

appointments for when is most convenient based on their school schedule. In-school clinics provide
advantage for girls who have busy schedules and need birth control checkups to insure their in fine

health. When a student enters the clinic for the first time, she is assessed and prescribed the best birth

control for her needs.

Members of the Seattle school system explain that perhaps the best outcome of this program is

the establishment of trusting relationships. Many of the girls have grown truly comfortable with the

school nurses; they almost serve as counselors to the students. Moreover, the program promotes open-

minded discussions about birth control and safe sex between the students (Andrews). Many young girls

can relate to the feeling of having no one with whom to discuss subjects similar to birth control. School-

provided birth control has the potential to become an environment for students to open up and feel in

control of their bodies.

On average, taxpayers will pay up to 1,647 dollars a year associated with unplanned, teenage

pregnancy (“Reducing Teenage Pregnancy”). This massive number is nine times the cost of the yearly

birth control pill and forty times that the yearly price of an IUD. In 2010, the United States spent 9.4

billion dollars on teenage pregnancy. Additionally in 2010, the United States spent significantly less on

family planning- only 2.37 billion (DePillis). Money spent on family planning is highly associated with the

decline of teenage pregnancy. The costly price of implementing birth controls in schools could cause

major issues with budget as well as provoke questions about who’s pocket the money is coming from.

However, investments in these new programs could ultimately mean significantly less spending on teen

pregnancy.

Many adults hold the argument that easy access to birth control promotes sexual activity in

teenagers. The thought is that by allowing such easy access to LARCs, teenage girls will feel more

compelled to participate in sexual activity. However, research has proven otherwise, instead
demonstrating that access to birth control promotes safe sex, preventing unwanted pregnancy. It does

not increase sexual activity (“Reducing Teenage Pregnancy”).

The moral debate between teenagers right to privacy in family planning and parental right to

consent continues to turn school systems away from in-school birth control. Underage girls were

interviewed after receiving birth control from a local clinic. The results uncovered that parental

involvement can often lead to bad consequences. When the girls were asked what they would do if

parent consent was needed in order to obtain the birth control, only a mere one percent of them said

they would abstain from sex all together. Two in ten asked said they would resort to unsafe sex instead

of abstinence. Seven out of ten said they wouldn’t be able to use the clinic at all if consent was

mandatory- either their parents wouldn’t allow it or they would not feel comfortable asking them

(Dailard and Chinue). These frightful realities further emphasize the positives of school-provided birth

control: a safe haven for teenage girls to be in control of their bodies and another major effort towards

ending teenage pregnancy in the United States.

In the 1977 “Carey vs. Population Services International” case, supreme court confirmed that

minors have the right to privacy, including contraceptives (“Reducing Teenage Pregnancy”). “The right to

privacy in connection with decisions affecting procreation extends to minors as well as adults” (“Carey v.

Population Services International”). All states allow minors to test for STDs and provide STD treatment.

Twenty-one states, plus D.C., allow underaged girls access to birth control without parental consent.

Twenty-five states allow this in certain circumstances, such as marriage or if they already have a child

(Dailard and Chinue). Providing birth control in schools while staying in line with state laws would most

likely be extremely complicated. Many schools would need to put in place a system to gain parental

consent even though the absence of parental consent is why many of these programs are thriving.
 Birth control in school promotes safe sex as well as giving young women more control over their

own bodies. However, birth control often comes with complications. If an issue were to arise while a

student was not at school, there’s a likelihood that the parent is unaware their child is on birth control.

Leaving parents out of the loop could have girls suffering serious consequences. IUD complications can

range anywhere from severe menstrual cramping to bacterial infections. Heart attack, stroke and blood

clots, though rare, are possible side effects from the birth control pill (“Are Birth Control Pills Safe?”).

The other side to this argument is deciding whether or not these risks outweigh the risks of

teenage girls becoming pregnant. Health complications can be severe for pregnant women and these

complications increase immensely for teenagers. There are more deaths during childbirth, their babies

are more apt to be premature, and teenagers are more likely to involve themselves with risky abortions

(“Reducing Teenage Pregnancy”). Less than half of teen mothers finish high school and a mere two

percent will graduate from college by age 30. Lastly, girls born to teenage girls are statistically more

likely to become teen moms themselves (“Why It Matters”).

Despite teen birth rates declining, the United States still ranks high as a developed nation for

teen pregnancy. Distribution of birth control in school could possibly be the end of a “Teen Mom” era or

the beginning of an uproar from unhappy parents. The United States public school system tells teens to

succeed in school and emphasizes the importance of reaching graduation. It's not up to schools to

monitor students sexual activity, however, it is up to them to provide the means to reaching their set

goals. Birth control provided in and by schools is another resource for teenagers to be successful.
 Works Cited

Andrews, Eve. “A Seattle High School Is Taking Birth Control Access to the next Level.” Grist, 28 May

2015, grist.org/living/a-seattle-high-school-is-taking-birth-control-access-to-the-next-level/.

“Are Birth Control Pills Safe & Are They Right For You?” Planned Parenthood,

www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-pill/how-safe-is-the-birth-control-

pill.

“Carey v. Population Services International.” Legal Information Institute,

www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/431/678.

Dailard, Cynthia, and Turner R. Chinue. "Teenagers' Access to Confidential Reproductive Health

Services." Guttmacher Policy Review Vol.8, No.4, Nov, 2005, pp. 6-11, SIRS Issues

Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

DePillis, Lydia. "The U.S. Still Spends Way More on Teen Pregnancy than Family

Planning." Washington Post, 30 Apr, 2014, SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Furstenberg, Frank K. “The History of Teenage Childbearing as a Social Problem.” Destinies of the

Disadvantaged: The Politics of Teen Childbearing, 2007, pp. 1–23.

Green, Erica L., and Talia Richman. "School Birth Control Debated." Baltimore Sun, 07 Jun, 2015, pp.

A.1, SIRS Issues Researcher,https://sks.sirs.com.

“Reducing Teenage Pregnancy.” Plannedparenthood.org, Planned Parenthood Federation of America,

July 2013, www.plannedparenthood.org/files/6813/9611/7632/Reducing_Teen_Pregnancy.pdf.

“Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing.” HHS.gov, US Department of Health and Human

Services, 2 June 2016, www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/reproductive-health-and-

teen-pregnancy/teen-pregnancy-and-childbearing/trends/index.html.

“Why It Matters.” Power to Decide, powertodecide.org/what-we-do/information/why-it-matters.