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Providing teenager with free contraceptive method dramatically reduces their chances of unintended pregnancy , a new study shows .
On average , nearly 16 percentage of sexually experient femaleteens will get pregnant in a give year , but few than 4 pct of the teens who welcome liberal contraceptive method did in the young study , published Thursday ( Oct. 2 ) in The New England Journal of Medicine .
The researchers also discover that when given a option of methods , most three - quarter of young woman in the study chose anintrauterine machine ( IUD)or internal secretion implant for nativity control . The American Academy of Pediatrics recently indorse these long - act physique of birth control as the best antifertility methods for stripling and teens .
" IUDs and implant are only used by probably less than 5 percent of adolescents across the nation , " state Dr. Jeffrey Peipert of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis , who co - authored the new field . " We were surprised at how commonly pick out these method were — that was shocking to us . " [ Birth Control Quiz : Test Your Contraception Knowledge ]
More than 9,000 women years 14 to 45 enter in the study , known as the Contraceptive CHOICE Project . Participants obtain counselling about contraceptives that emphasized the long - acting method , which have been proven to be most effective . The women were then given their preventative of alternative , gratis of charge , and watch over for two to three years .
The new report focuses on the 1,404 study participants who were 15 to 19 years old , 72 percent of whom select an IUD or implant . On average , during the study period , the annual pace of pregnancy was 3.4 percent , versus 15.9 pct among this years mathematical group in the general universe .
During the study , an average of 1.9 percent of the study participants turn over parturition annually , versus 9.4 percent of teens in the general universe . The yearly pace of abortions was less than 1 pct for teens in the study , versus 4 percentage for teens overall .
admission to long - acting antifertility method in the United States is " spotted " at good , Peipert order Live Science . Many char — andeven many doctors — do n’t know thatthese method are safe for teensand young womanhood , he pronounce , and many health maintenance providers are n’t train in how to employ them .
Another big barrier is cost , Peipert said . " These method can be up to $ 700 for the gimmick itself , and then introduction costs can well put it over $ 1,000 , " he said .
Although this is much pricier than getting condoms at the drugstore or buying a packet ofbirth control contraceptive pill , the facts are that long - acting method acting can be used for several years , that they are more effective and that women are more probable to keep using them . All of this have in mind that they wind up being more cost - effective .
Nevertheless , " if you have to make up out of pocket , it ’s almost prohibitive for many woman , " Peipert said .
" Our hope is that the Affordable Care Act will permit more and more women to have access to these method , " he impart . However , the law allow insurance firm to choose out of cover contraceptive method , or to only cover certain methods .
critic may say that providing contraception for teens encourages sexual activity , " Peipert acknowledged .
But much research has shown that teenager are n’t more potential to have sex if contraception is made usable to them , he said .
