Contraceptive methods among adolescents, such as intermittent intercourse or having sex a few days after menstruation, are still popular. Teenagers' unplanned motherhood is often the result of insufficient sexual education. Young people enter the world of physical love, knowing little about their own physiology and contraception. How can teenagers protect themselves from parenting too early and can they use hormonal contraception?

Whichcontraceptive methodsare recommended for teenagers? In Poland, every fourth girl aged 15-19 has been sexually initiated. Of these, around 20,000 become mothers each year, usually because they have had unprotected sex.

Natural methods and a rubber band: which method of contraception should I choose?

  • Natural methods of contraceptionrequire a great deal of self-discipline and a good knowledge of your own body. With the thermal method, the temperature has to be measured and recorded every morning. It is hard to expect such meticulousness from a teenager. In addition, ovulation is signaled by a temperature rise of only half a degree. And it can also increase due to nervousness before the test or runny nose. In turn, the observation of cervical mucus is a solution for people who know their body well and have a stable sex life. And teens frequently change partners, which can lead to changes in the bacterial flora in the vagina, and therefore the appearance of the mucus.

WHO (World He alth Organization) recommends that teenagers use condoms even when the girl uses hormonal contraception.

  • Thecondom is more effective in preventing pregnancy than natural methods, provided that it is well put on and the size of the condom is matched to the size of the penis. And with that, the boys may have a problem. The advantage of the eraser is its availability, as it is easy for teenagers to buy, and protection against sexually transmitted diseases. Protects against e.g. HIV and hepatitis B and C.

Contraceptive pills for teenagers

They are the surest way to prevent pregnancy, but your gynecologist will not prescribe them to teenagers under 15 (see box). It is doubtful that he would prescribe them to girls before the age of 16.years of age, in whom the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovaries system, which controls the menstrual cycle, is not yet mature. She will also not prescribe hormonal contraceptives if a teenager has not had a regular period for a year. You must first diagnose the cause of the abnormal cycles and, if necessary, start treatment. However, the doctor may refuse to issue a prescription also if the patient is underage, for medical (e.g. family history of thrombosis) or ethical reasons. In the latter case, he must indicate a doctor who is not against hormonal contraception. Before recommending it, the gynecologist is required to conduct a thorough medical interview, perform a gynecological examination and measure blood pressure. Other studies are performed in justified clinical situations.

Plaster, ring or pill? - the gynecologist decides

The choice of the type of hormonal contraceptive is made by a gynecologist who tries to adjust it to a specific patient. In the case of teenagers, two-component preparations with a low content of hormones (estradiol and progesterone) in the form of patches, vaginal rings or tablets are recommended. Doctors are the least likely to propose a patch, if only because a teenager may not notice that it has come off. A better solution is a ring that is put on every 3 weeks (a new one is put in after a week of break). However, sometimes teenagers have problems with its application.

Most often, gynecologists recommend two-component pills with a low dose of hormones. Although they require self-discipline, they must be taken at the same time every day to be effective, but they are convenient to use. The most modern preparations are taken without any interruption. Some of the tablets, marked with a different color, are placebo, so they do not contain hormones (e.g. 24 + 4 or 26 + 2 system). This is what they choose for teenagers because they don't have to remember when to reach for a new packet of pills.

Important

Legal regulations

Teenagers can legally have sex from the age of 15. Doctors are required to report the initiation of sexual intercourse, becoming pregnant, giving birth to a child before that age, to the appropriate authorities. Girls under the age of 16 must visit the gynecologist with their parent / legal guardian, as their consent is needed for the gynecological examination, diagnostic and treatment procedures (including prescription of contraceptives). Between the age of 16 and 18, the decision about diagnostic and treatment procedures is made simultaneously by the teenager and his parents. In practicethis means that a 16-year-old can go to the gynecologist herself and ask him to prescribe contraceptives, but the parents must give their consent. The law does not specify whether it is to be granted in person or in writing. Some doctors are satisfied with adolescents' admission that caregivers agree to use hormonal contraception, while others feel obliged to inform them. After the age of 18, the girl herself determines her he alth.

How not to get pregnant - a video guide for young people

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