Are You Ready to Talk About Birth Control?

Every year in November, Fact Forward joins other reproductive health organizations to celebrate Thanks, Birth Control Day. The day acknowledges that contraception allows people to plan their lives on their own terms and empowers them to decide what their future looks like.  

According to the latest South Carolina Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, 37.5 percent of high school students in South Carolina used contraception at last sex. This is higher than the national average (30.9 percent) but still leaves room for improvement.  

There’s a common misconception that if we talk about contraception or intercourse, it’s giving permission to have sex. The research shows that young people who talk with trusted adults are more likely to delay having sex AND more likely to use condoms and birth control when they do have sex.  

At Fact Forward, we believe that access to information about options and reliable contraception is crucial to bright futures for youth. Parents, educators, clinicians, and other youth-serving professionals can support the young people in their lives by encouraging open conversation about their birth control options.  

There are new methods, new brands, and more options than ever when it comes to birth control. Make sure you’re up to date on them before a young person asks. It’s not enough to know what the methods are anymore; we also have to make sure young people know how to use them the right way. Prepare yourself and get a crash course on birth control options using Power to Decide’s Birth Control Comparison Tool.  

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