Best Birth Control Options

There is growing sentiment around the country that not only should birth control be readily available to teens everywhere, it should be provided free of charge as a means of promoting the general welfare. Advocates of free birth control for teens argue such a program would reduce teenage pregnancy, reduce the burden on the welfare system, and improve overall public health.

While there are currently no national programs in place to provide free birth control for teens, many states have begun offering free birth control as part of their general public health policies. To find out if your state has such a program in place, contact your state's department of health and services. You can find a link to your state's department of health services here.

Check With Your Insurance Company

While some states don't provide free birth control for teens, many insurance companies are beginning to wise up. After all, birth control pills are far less expensive than prenatal care and subsequent hospital costs. You will often be required to pay a small monthly co-pay, perhaps $15-20, so it's not quite free, but $20 per month is a small price to pay to avoid teenage pregnancy. The downside of this, of course, is that you may have to obtain permission from your parents before a doctor will agree to subscribe birth control for you.

Free Condoms For Teens

Even if you manage to obtain free or inexpensive birth control, you should be using condoms every time as well. This is because while birth control pills help protect against unwanted pregnancy, they do nothing to protect against sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, herpes, and chlamydia. Condoms, on the other hand, are very effective at preventing both unwanted pregnancy as well as STDs. Furthermore, condoms are usually available for free at your local health center and sometimes on your school campus. Ask your school counselor or a trusted adult for information on where to locate free condoms. Because of their easy availability and ability to prevent the transmission of STDs, condoms are among the very best forms of free birth control for teens.