Sex and teens a touchy subject

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, August 21, 2002

Nobody trusts a tattletale.

At least the teenage girls who were surveyed in a study that was released last week don't.

The Journal of American Medicine Association published a study that analyzed the effect of limiting confidential medical services to teenage girls.

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The study began after 10 states and the United States Congress introduced bills that would prohibit prescribed contraceptives for adolescents without parental involvement.

Diane M. Reddy, Raymond Fleming and Carolyne Swain decided to study the effect this legislation would have on the teenager's use of sexual health medical services.

In a survey of 950 girls, 55 percent of them said they would stop using all sexual health services, delay testing or treatment for HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases or discontinue using some specific services if their parents were notified that they wanted to use contraception.

Only 1 percent said they would stop having sexual intercourse.

Laws letting parents have a say in whether their teenager uses contraception shouldn't make sex more risky for those teenagers.

But according to this study, it would.

Teenage girls may not always be making the right decision when they decide to start having sex at a young age. They are, however, making a smart decision to visit a clinic and learn about contraception and STDs before they start doing so.

But if they thought their parents would find out they were getting information or seeking treatment, they may be less likely to get that information.

When it comes to prescribing minors drugs, however, the issue becomes more complicated. Minors may not be mature enough to decide if taking a drug is beneficial to them. Their parents should be there to help them make that decision.

Prescribed birth control does more than prevent a woman from getting pregnant. It affects her weight and can put some women at a greater risk for blood clots and high blood pressure.

These are side effects that parents and their daughters should discuss, not to mention discussing the risks that come with sexual intercourse itself.

But birth control is a touchy subject. Parents and their children, for the most part, do not talk much about sex after the first "birds and bees" talk. It may be unfortunate, but it is a reality.

So this law might seem like a good idea because it gets the subject out in the open between parents and their daughter. The parents may be able to discuss the topic and decide whether letting their daughter take birth control is a good idea.

However, it wouldn't work that way in most cases. From the results of this study, the daughter, if she knew all clinics would require a parent's permission, would not try to get a birth control prescription.

But she would still have sex -- hopefully with some other form of protection. According to the results of this study, she wouldn't be tested for STDs either because those same clinics she doesn't trust provides testing services.

And in the end, there is no dialogue between the parents and daughter about sexual activity.

This law might seem like a good way for parents to prevent their children from having sex, but there are other forms of contraception besides birth control. And some teenagers do not use protection despite the risks.

Teenage sexual activity can lead to many problems, but if teenagers are willing to seek out services to make it less so, then no laws should hinder that decision.

Parents cannot rely on a clinic to tell them if their child is having sex. The parents needs to find out that information by talking to their teenager.

Granted, parents may not get a straight answer. Sex is a topic that is hard for both teenagers and parents to discuss.

Perhaps more programs or information for parents about talking to their teenagers about sexual activity could help.

But in the meantime, it's better for teenagers to use confidential sexual health services to make sexual activity less risky than avoiding those clinics because of a lack of trust.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at :mailto:cari.quam@austindailyherald.com