Free birth control cuts teen pregnancies, abortions
When barriers to contraception such as cost and lack of education were removed, most teens in a Washington University study opted for long-acting birth control
Sara Moser, Catherine Betz When Washington University School of Medicine researchers removed barriers to contraception for teens – such as cost and the lack of education about the various methods – most opted for long-acting birth control, like intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants.
Their study shows that the teens had significantly lower pregnancy and abortion rates compared with those for sexually active U.S. teens.
The research appears in The New England Journal of Medicine and involved teens enrolled in the Contraceptive CHOICE project. For more information, read the news release.
