Research Proposal: Parental Consent for Teens & Contraceptives

This essay, presented as a research proposal, investigates the contentious issue of parental consent for teenagers seeking contraceptives. The introduction highlights the availability of contraceptives and the reluctance of teens to discuss their use with parents, along with potential side effects. The discussion section delves into research findings, revealing that mandatory parental consent might reduce contraceptive use and could increase the risk of unintended pregnancies. The essay explores studies conducted in the United States, including Texas, and examines the attitudes and behaviors of teenagers regarding sexual activity and healthcare access. It also presents the viewpoints of medical organizations like the American Public Health Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians, which oppose mandatory parental consent laws. The essay further discusses the legal rights of teenagers, the psychological and emotional maturity of teens, and the potential for improved communication between parents and teens if parental consent is required. However, it also acknowledges the opposing view that emphasizes the importance of protecting teenagers' confidentiality and fundamental rights. The conclusion summarizes the ambiguous results of the research, highlighting the need for a balanced approach that considers both the privacy of teens and the role of parents in guiding their offspring.

Running head: PARENTAL CONSENT FOR TEENS TO ACCESS CONTRACEPTIVES
Parental Consent for Teens to Obtain Contraceptives
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1PARENTAL CONSENT FOR TEENS TO ACCESS CONTRACEPTIVES
Thesis Statement- In this essay, a research proposal is developed about the requirement of
parental consent for teens to obtain contraceptives.
Introduction
In modern days, the availability of contraceptives is common so that teenagers can
protect themselves from unexpected pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD).
Teenagers are often reluctant to talk about consuming contraceptives to their parents and the
contraceptives have adverse effect on health of teenagers. The side-effects of contraceptives are
weight gain, headaches, nausea and missed menstrual cycle. That is why; many states in the
United States want to prevent teenagers who are sexually active from consuming contraceptives
unless they inform their parents about it. However, this proposal can change the public health
policy and increase the risk of unexpected pregnancy for teenagers (Reddy et al.)
Discussion
The research has revealed that around 59% of teenagers in the United States will stop
consuming contraceptives if parental consent is made mandatory. There were smaller
percentages teenagers who revealed that they would switch to condoms, would visit non-state
clinics or would have intercourse without contraceptives. A very few percentage of teenagers
revealed that they would refrain from sexual activity if parental consent is made mandatory for
consuming contraceptives. Research has been conducted on Texas which made it mandatory for
teenagers to obtain parental consent before they can access contraception funded by the state.
The research has reflected that the decision of the state increased the rate of pregnancy in Texas
initially, but decreased the rate in the long run. From this research study, it can be assumed at
first glance that making parental consent mandatory for teenagers to consume contraceptives

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would increase the rate of pregnancy because teenagers would continue to have sex without
contraceptives, but this is not the scenario in the long run. Teenagers often analyze the cost and
benefits before indulging in sexual activity, and the attitude, habits, social circle of teenagers
often determine their sexual activity. From this study, it has been found that making parental
consent mandatory for consuming contraceptives will protect teenagers from the harmful effects
of contraceptives and will not increase the risk of teen pregnancy in the long run (Colman et al.).
Another research study was published in the American Medical Association. In this
study, teenagers revealed that they would stop accessing reproductive health care services but
would not refrain from sexual activity if parental consent was made mandatory for accessing
contraceptives because of breach of confidentiality and they also revealed they would not avail
treatments of STDs if they have to obtain parental consent to access contraceptives. This
research study reveals that if parental consent is made mandatory for accessing contraceptives, it
could abstain teenagers from availing sexual health care services that they require because
teenagers are not ready to breach their confidentiality and discuss private matters with parents.
This research throws light to the fact that if parental consent is made mandatory for obtaining
contraceptives, it would increase the risk of contamination of HIV and sexually transmitted
diseases among teenagers because they would refrain from availing sexual health care services if
they have to involve their parents. Research has also revealed that prime medical organizations
of the United States named the American Public Health Association, the American Medical
Association, and the American Academy of family physicians; Society of Adolescent Medicine
and The American College of Gynecologists have opposed laws that made it mandatory for
teenagers to obtain consent from parents to access contraceptives(Kearney, Melissa S and
Phillip).The research reveals that there are many teenagers in the United States who do not have

3PARENTAL CONSENT FOR TEENS TO ACCESS CONTRACEPTIVES
supportive parents to accept sexual discussions and thus if these teenagers adopt an open
communication model with their parents about contraceptives they can be abandoned or abused
at home(Noll, Jennie and Chad ).The constitution of the United States has protected the rights of
privacy for a teenager to access contraceptives, because the decision that affects procreation is
applicable to teenagers as well as adults.
However, research related to the necessity to mandate parental consent to access
contraceptives in case of teenagers has reflected ambiguous opinion. Some researchers have
revealed that the psychology and anatomy of brain of teenagers in the age group of 13-17 stay
tender and vulnerable. It can be reflected that teens in this age group are not physically or
emotionally matured to take the decision to consume contraceptives without parental consent.
Research studies have revealed that the brain of teenagers are in a stage of development and
growth, the prefrontal cortex of the brain which has a critical role in control of impulse and
regulate the process of decision making is at a developmental stage during teenage years. Thus if
state laws make it mandatory for teenagers to obtain parental consent to access contraceptives,
parents will at least be aware of the sexual activity of their children and will guide them to make
proper and meaningful decision. A health communication process will develop between parents
and teenagers if parental consent is made mandatory for accessing contraceptives (Taffa et al.).
Teenagers tend to be sexually active even if they are not prepared to face the consequences of
unplanned sexual activity, thus an open discussion with parents can protect teenagers from the
unnecessary troubles related to sexual activity during the tender years of teenage. The teenagers
are at increasing risk of pregnancy even when they are not financially and emotionally stable.
Thus informing parents before accessing contraceptive will result in proper parental counseling
regarding safe sexual practice. The parents can support teenagers financially if they are

4PARENTAL CONSENT FOR TEENS TO ACCESS CONTRACEPTIVES
victimized by accidental pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. The parents can’t prohibit
or control sexual activity of children but they can at least educate their children about safe sexual
practice (Jaccard and Nicole).Thus if state laws make it mandatory to obtain parental consent
before accessing contraceptives, it will foster a healthy communication about sexual history
between teenagers and parents and will keep parents informed about the sexual history of their
children. Thus many clinics in the United States have a policy where teenagers are encouraged to
inform parents about accessing contraceptives.
However research also highlights a contradictory opinion in this topic. The research
studies have reflected the opinion of many parents in the United States who have revealed that
their children are matured enough to take their individual decision. Research reflects a
contradictory viewpoint that the fundamental human right should recognize the freedom of birth
control, making parental consent mandatory for accessing contraceptives will restrict teenagers
from availing the fundamental rights. The confidentiality of teenagers should be protected and
breach of this confidentiality can adversely affect the emotional and psychological state of
teenagers. The research studies have revealed that free access to contraceptives and birth control
do not increase the rate of sexual activity among teenagers, it only empowers the teenagers who
decide to be sexually active to practice safe sex (Sokkary et al.) The abstinence-only approach
which is decided to be practiced in the United States will only impose unnecessary burden on
teenagers and act as a barrier to their freedom and confidentiality.
The parents of teenagers play a role of paramount importance to support the process of
mandatory parental consent for teenagers to access contraceptives. It can be argued that the state
laws which have made it compulsory for teenagers to obtain parental consent to access
contraceptives should also educate the parents of teenagers that they need to play a supportive

5PARENTAL CONSENT FOR TEENS TO ACCESS CONTRACEPTIVES
role when their teenage child openly communicates with them about contraceptives. These
parents should adopt a communication model apt for the age of the teenager. For instance, the
parents of a young teenager in the age group of 13- 14, an open discussion and guidance from
parents is advisable and while communicating with an older teenager, parents should adopt a
more friendly communication model to discuss the process of accessing contraceptives with their
offspring. The role of communication of process of parents becomes important while
implementing the law of mandatory parental consent for teenagers to access contraceptives
(Jaccard and Patricia).
Conclusion
It can be concluded that research studies regarding the necessity of parental consent to
access contraceptives reveals an ambiguous result. The research on this topic reflects that making
parental control necessary to access contraceptives will breach the privacy of teenagers and make
teenagers more vulnerable to unexpected pregnancy because teenagers are not free to discuss
about their sexual history with their parents. The research also reveals a contradictory opinion
that teenagers are not matured psychologically and emotionally, so they should inform their
parents before obtaining contraceptives. Parents of teenagers have every right to be informed
about the sexual history of their immature offspring so that they can protect them from
unnecessary complications related to sexual activity. It can be concluded that the sates which
make parental consent compulsory to access contraceptives should also focus on encouraging
parents to adopt a supportive communication model towards their offspring, so that teenagers are
not intimidated to talk to their parents openly.

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Reference Lists
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sex?." Journal of health economics 32.5 (2013): 873-880.
Jaccard, James, and Nicole Levitz. "Counseling adolescents about contraception: towards the
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Health 52.4 (2013): S6-S13.
Jaccard, James, and Patricia Dittus. Parent-teen communication: Toward the prevention of
unintended pregnancies. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.
Kearney, Melissa Schettini, and Phillip B. Levine. Explaining recent trends in the US teen birth
rate. No. w17964. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2012.
Noll, Jennie G., and Chad E. Shenk. "Teen birth rates in sexually abused and neglected
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Sokkary, Nancy, et al. "A multicenter survey of contraceptive knowledge among adolescents in
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