Welcome to: Not Your Mom’s IUD
By Sephora N’sapo, ASAFTC Health Educator
In honor of National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, I wanted to use this opportunity to share information to help teens make informed, healthy decisions when it comes to sex, which includes options related to preventing pregancy. In the US, teen birth rates continue to decline; however, progress remains uneven due to health disparities amongst different populations.1 Also, about 75% of teen pregnancies are unplanned or unintended.2 This alone indicates the need for accurate, comprehensive sex eduation and access to reproductive health resources. Furthermore, the changing landscape of reproductive health and rights makes it crucial to make an active decision to protect your reproductive anatomy and autonomy. You deserve the right to make informed decisions pertaining to your own reproductive health.
At A Step Ahead Tri-Cities, we believe the most effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy is to provide free birth control and comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education. Tennessee is among the top 10 states with high teen birth and pregnancy rates, so our goal to prevent unplanned pregnancies amongst this population is to provide free long-acting, reversible contraception (LARC) along with education. With this goal, our hope is to improve educational and economic outcomes, and increase health and happiness for families in our community.
Everyone has different values and comfort levels, so not everyone is comfortable engaging in sexual intercourse. Abstinence is a healthy choice for anyone to make. This decision helps you avoid the stress of potential pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STI) and allow you to focus on your future. However, most people will transition out of abstinence, so let’s talk about the most effective forms of pregnancy prevention: LARC. These methods are the IUDs (intrauterine device), the arm implant, and the birth control (Depo-Provera) shot. LARCs are 99% effective at pregnancy prevention, comfortable, convenient, and can be removed at any time.
Interested in birth control but are concerned about cost, transportation, or provider choice? call/text us at 423-415-0277 or visit us at ASAFTC for more information.
Source:
1.) powertodecide.org/what-we-do/information/national-state-data/national
2.) Finer LB, Zolna MR. Declines in Unintended Pregnancy in the United States, 2008-2011. N Engl J Med. 2016 Mar 3;374(9):843-52. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa1506575. PMID: 26962904; PMCID: PMC4861155.
