Study: Teens' access to morning-after pill may increase risky behavior

By Staff Writer

A new report reveals that the morning-after pill has not reduced the number of teen pregnancies and may be linked to a rise in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Many adolescents engage in risky sexual behavior because they believe that the morning-after pill will prevent pregnancy. As a result, some government agencies have begun urging pharmacies to offer emergency birth control unprescribed, in hopes of reducing teen pregnancies and the spread of STDs.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham set out to study the effects among teens after the pill became more accessible. They found that there was an overall 5 percent increase in STDs among adolescents under the age of 18. In addition, they found that these methods may also be associated with a small increase in the number of teen pregnancies.

The researchers surmised that many teens had substituted the morning after pill for other forms of birth control such as condoms. Furthermore, they questioned whether government-backed programs that make birth control more available promotes unhealthy behavior among teens.

Parents of children who engage in risky behavior may consider tough love techniques, such as enforcing strict curfews, limiting access to explicit material on the internet or television, and perhaps implementing a no-dating policy for kids of a certain age.