{"id":19679,"date":"2024-01-25T17:27:25","date_gmt":"2024-01-25T23:27:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/parental-consent-teen-birth-control\/"},"modified":"2024-03-19T12:46:59","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T17:46:59","slug":"consentimiento-paterno-control-de-natalidad-en-adolescentes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/es\/parental-consent-teen-birth-control\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfQui\u00e9n decide si las adolescentes utilizan m\u00e9todos anticonceptivos, los padres o las hijas?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I started college when I was 17. Well, briefly; the school term started a few days before my 18th birthday. While I didn\u2019t have to make it very far into college as a minor, for those few days I was very aware of the fact that if my parents needed to sign something for me, the 600-mile separation would make it a hassle. Things I could have needed parent permission for<\/a> included signing a waiver (such as for a self-defense class), buying cough medicine, buying super glue, getting a piercing, and donating blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason? These are all things that could potentially have caused me harm, and as a not-quite-yet adult, I was subject to laws put in place to ensure that an adult with my best interests at heart could consider and weigh these risks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something that was notably absent<\/em> from this list however, was access to birth control. This is because the vast majority of states<\/a> allow under-18s to be prescribed birth control without parental consent. The exceptions include Delaware and Illinois (must be at least 12 years old), Alabama and Hawaii (must be at least 14 years old), and South Carolina (must be at least 16 years old), although exceptions are possible where youth can still obtain birth control without parental consent. In Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, and Oregon, healthcare providers can choose<\/em> to inform a parent or legal guardian that a child has been prescribed birth control, but this notification is not required. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the argument for<\/em> allowing minors to access birth control without telling their parents?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a hypothetical situation, let\u2019s say Samantha approaches her parents about getting medical treatment for frequent migraines. Her parents are supportive. It\u2019s clear why Samantha wants to do this, and they too want her to feel better and not have to miss so much school. They are able to help her weigh the risks and benefits of the options available to her, evaluate options other than medication, consider options in light of personal and family medical history, and navigate insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Samantha is grateful to have her parents help her find migraine treatment, she might not be so keen on broaching the subject of birth control with her parents. Since birth control is necessarily associated with sex, she might be afraid of implying that she is sexually active by asking about birth control, even if she is interested in birth control for non-contraceptive reasons. More likely than not, sex and reproductive health are taboo topics in her house, and trying to start a conversation about birth control could result in embarrassment, shame, or even an angry outburst from a parent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the majority of states that do not require parental consent for birth control, their reasoning is pretty straightforward. If a minor is choosing to engage in sexual activity, then denying her the ability to use contraceptives puts her at undue risk for teen pregnancy. According to the accepted script around birth control, it is safe with few side effects while unintended pregnancy can have a profound impact on a teen\u2019s life. The argument is that the benefits of birth control strongly outweigh the risks, so minors should be able to make the decision themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the argument against<\/em> allowing minors to access birth control without telling their parents?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In reality, it\u2019s past time to question the supposed harmlessness of birth control. We\u2019ve recently covered the stories of Cloe Westerway<\/a>, whose birth control implant migrated all the way into her heart, and Layla Khan<\/a>, a 16-year-old girl who tragically died of a blood clot caused by hormonal birth control. And while deadly or life-threatening birth control complications are rare, an estimated 300-400 U.S. women<\/a> lose their lives each year from venous thromboembolisms, strokes, or heart attacks directly caused by their hormonal birth control use. Furthermore, the \u201ctypical<\/a>\u201d side effects of birth control can also seriously impact quality of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without guidance, teens may have difficulty navigating these potential side effects, like depression<\/a>, especially when parents aren\u2019t even aware of their child\u2019s prescription. In the case of complications, teens may be forced to enlist their parents\u2019 help anyways, as in this story<\/a> of an improperly inserted Nexplanon. Bizarrely, parental consent was required to remove<\/em> the Nexplanon implant, even though it was inserted without parental notification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, harmful complications could arise for youth who aren\u2019t aware of whether their personal or family medical history would preclude or complicate combined oral contraceptive use. This includes<\/a> women with high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, certain heart conditions, migraines with auras, cancer, liver problems<\/a>, genetic factors that make abnormal blood clots more likely<\/a>, or for those who take medications that interact with hormonal birth control [1].<\/p>\n\n\n\n