Unplanned pregnancies
Unplanned or unintended pregnancies is a pregnancy that occurs at the time when a woman does not desire to have a child. In 2011, the U.S recorded 98 pregnancies for every 1000 women aged between 15 to 45 (Sonfield et al., 2014). Of the 98 pregnancies, 45 were reported to be unplanned pregnancies. The data indicates that approximately 5 per cent of women of reproductive age in the U.S have unplanned pregnancies each year. Of the 6.2 million pregnancies recorded, 2.8 million pregnancies were unintended. The state of Florida recorded 59 per cent of unplanned pregnancies in 2013 (Guttmacher, 2019). The data is higher than the national average of unplanned pregnancies.
Method of birth control
There are several birth control methods that can help reduce unwanted pregnancies. They include; vasectomy, tubal ligation, sterilization, fertility awareness, condoms, cervical cap, implants, intrauterine devices, contraceptive ring and contraceptive patch. The method has a varied duration of active pregnancy prevention.
Pregnancy rates in the U.S and my state of Florida are surprising. The rates are significantly higher than in many other developed countries in the world. The data shows that unplanned pregnancy rates are significantly higher in girls between the age of 15 to 19 years.
Birth control products should be made available at no charge to everyone who wants to use it. The strategy will significantly reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies in the U.S. Birth control products such as condoms, pills, and patches should be availed to sexually active teenagers. The products will not only protect the teens from getting unplanned pregnancies, but it will also help protect them from sexually transmitted infections. Teenagers of above 15 years and sexually active should be taught how to safely use the contraceptives to enable them to make a safe and healthy decision
References
Sonfield, A. et al. (2014). Moving forward: Family planning in the era of health reform, New York: Guttmacher Institute. Retrieved from https://www.guttmacher.org/report/moving-forward-family-planning-era-health-reform
Guttmacher Institute, (2019). Unintended pregnancies in the United States. Guttmacher Institute. Retrieved from https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/unintended-pregnancy-united-states