By ABC News
Oct 3, 2014 5:33pm
There are more than 600,000 American teen pregnancies per year, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Given the costs – both to individual teens and to society – it is clear that there are big upsides to preventing these pregnancies. And research shows best ways to combat teen pregnancy include medically-accurate sexual health education and access to contraception.
Adolescents who are sexually active should talk to their doctors about the best birth control options for them. Federally supported Title X family planning clinics offer reproductive care at a reduced cost.
But another essential part of preventing teen pregnancy is for adolescents to have a parent or other trusted adult in whom they can confide to discuss values and healthy relationships.
And because long-acting methods do not prevent sexually transmitted infections, it is important that teens know that barrier methods are also an important part of safe sex.
