 News
21st January 2007
Teenagers just as careful with contraception as older
women
A new study has dismissed the common belief that teenagers are not as
careful as older women with contraception.
A Scottish study analysed the birth control attempted by
nearly 1000 women requesting a termination of an unwanted pregnancy.
They found that the number of teenagers who had failed to
use contraception was proportionately no different to the number of older
women.
The research at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow
looked at 246 teenagers and just under 700 women aged 20 or older.
Some had fallen pregnant after a failure in their use of
contraceptive and roughly the same percentage in each group had used condoms
or the Pill.
However, many had become pregnant following sex without
any attempt at contraception.
In the teenage group 57 per cent had not used contraception,
and in the older group, 51 per cent had had unprotected sex.
Dr Marco Gaudoin, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist
from Southern General Hospital and an author of the paper said, "The findings
demonstrate that not only do we have a long way to go in persuading teenagers
to use reliable contraception but contraceptive education should also
be continued in all women, regardless of their age."
Professor Phil Steer, the editor-in-chief of the journal,
added, "Teenagers have been unfairly criticised for irresponsible behaviour
when it comes to sex and contraception."
However, experts at the sexual health charity FPA are not
surprised at the findings.
Toni Belfield from the FPA said, "These are all human beings,
who can get carried away in the passion of the moment and not use contraception.
"It debunks the myth that teenagers are less responsible
when it comes to contraception."
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