Tierra Wilson
Mrs. Amy Alexander
English IV
19 October 2012
Birth Control and Diseases
Teenager’s sexuality and birth control are topics of conversation that adults find unwilling to discuss. The fact of the matter remains that teens are having sexual intercourse and need to be properly educated to prevent pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Although birth control and diseases have many side effects, they also have different types. The purpose of the contraceptive, called the birth control pill, is to do just that: control birth. The pill contains synthetic hormones, which prevent the egg form releasing from the ovaries. It is best to take the pill at the same time of the day, such as each morning when you wake up or before bed. In a personal interview with Ashley Skipper who is over the health department stated that women can have irregular bleeding from missing a couple of weeks of using birth control pill (Skipper). One advantage of taking the pill is more regular periods; one disadvantage is spotting between periods (Palo Alto Medical Foundation). Contraception is the deliberate use of artificial methods or other techniques to prevent pregnancy as a consequence of sexual intercourse. It is given by an injection and last up to three months at a time. When taking the depo provera a woman body senses the presences of the hormone. However, her ovaries will not release an egg and it is a way to prevent pregnancy (Thewomen.org). Using the depo provera, some women have low levels of hormones, and women tend to have side effects of having reduced periods or not having a period at all. Depo provera has several sides effects women tend to have such as weight gain, having terrible headaches or mood changes. The depo has many advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are some reduction in risk of ovarian cancer and pelvic infection (TheWomenorg). Intrauterine device (IUD) is a plastic device inserted into the uterus by a health care professional. The intrauterine device has two types of contraception: Mirena and ParaGard. Mirena is a device that delivers small amount of hormone directly into the uterus for up to five years. The side effects of the mirena and paragard are cramps and periods being heavy and lasting longer.The ParaGard is a copper-releasing IUD that is good for ten years(Palo Alto Medical Foundation). Abstinence is delaying marriage or avoiding sexual intercourse for protracted period (Engelman 2). Women around the world know that abstinence is the best way to go. Abstinence is a choice not to participate in any genital contact. It refrains from all forms of sexual intercourse and contact. The advantage of using abstinence is wonderful because there are no side effects and it’s a chance to get to know your boyfriend (Palo Alto Medical Foundation). In a personal interview with Ashley Skipper she stated that the pill and the patch are about the same (Skipper). The patch is a skin patch that is worn on the abdomen, buttocks or upper body that releases the hormone into the bloodstream (Palo Alto Medical Foundation). The patch is change once a week for three weeks (Family Planning Program 8). Sexually transmitted diseases are infections that you can get from having sexual intercourse with a person who has already have an infection. The causes of STD are bacteria, parasites and viruses. However, it is more then twenty diseases such as: chlamydia, trichomoniasis, syphilis, gonorrhea and HIV (STD). Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease cause by the bacterium. It is the most common and reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. In the year twenty-ten, 1,307,893 infections of Chlamydia were reported to the CDC form fifty states. Chlamydia can be transmitted by having sexual intercourse or oral sex. This STD is known as the “silent”disease because majority of infected people have no symptoms. However, women whom have been infected have symptoms and it