From the Frontline- by Health Care Assistant, Mary Beth

Chapel Hill Health Center

I remember this strong statement at the beginning of my career from a patient who was 19 years old. During the medical consultation before her abortion, she asked me about birth control, the menstrual cycle, reproduction, and sexually transmitted infections.  After her questions were answered, she said that what I had told her in 20 minutes was more than what she had learned in a lifetime from her parents and the abstinence-only sex education mandated in North Carolina.

I’ve heard many girls and women voice the same sentiments during my time here at Planned Parenthood.  Most of the teens I speak to don’t know what methods of birth control are available, how conception happens, or how their menstrual cycle works. Few know how sexually transmitted infections are spread between sexual partners and don’t use condoms during sex.  Many are clueless and ashamed because no one has told them about how, scientifically, a woman becomes pregnant, a person gets HIV, or a man contracts Chlamydia. However, when a young woman finds out they are pregnant or have an STI, they receive judgment and condemnation instead of support and compassion. A lot of people think that if they don’t talk about it, teenagers won’t have sex.  But the truth is that teens deserve to know about all methods of birth control and STI prevention so they can protect their sexual health before they are trapped by life-long consequences.

It is our responsibility as parents, teachers, and health care providers to provide a safe place for teens to talk about the risks involved with unhealthy relationships, sexually transmitted infections, and unplanned pregnancies. If we don’t teach teenagers that they deserve a partner who will treat them with respect in regards to their emotional, physical, and sexual health, we have no one to blame but ourselves when our young adults don’t have the tools to make healthy decisions.

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