Interuterine devices (IUDs) are now one of the two recommended forms of birth control for teenagers. This is good news on multiple fronts as IUDs are extremely reliable, relatively inexpensive, and the woman controls her reproductive choices. She does not need to worry about how long that condom had been in that wallet, whether or not he will actually pull out when he promised that he would, if she took a pill that morning or forgot or anything else. Once inserted, IUDs are effective and forgetable.
Teen girls who have sex should use IUDs or hormonal implants — long-acting birth control methods that are effective, safe and easy to use, the nation’s most influential pediatricians’ group recommends….
IUDs and hormonal implants cost more, usually hundreds of dollars, because inserting them involves a medical procedure typically done in doctors’ offices. But they’re less expensive in the long run than over-the-counter condoms or prescription birth control pills, said Dr. Mary Ott, an adolescent medicine specialist and associate pediatrics professor at Indiana University. She is the policy statement’s lead author,
Teens have to remember to use pills and condoms consistently. By contrast, IUDs typically work for three to 10 years after insertion, while implants typically last three years…..
This is excellent news, and it is illustrative of some of the problems with incentives that PPACA is working to fix.