Research Proposal on "Birth Control and Teenagers"

Research Proposal 4 pages (1124 words) Sources: 5 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Teen Birth Control

Unwanted pregnancy among American teenagers is a significant societal problem. In addition to changing the lives of teenagers in profound ways that require making alternate plans and arrangements for their future, it contributes to the numbers of children born into bad parenting situations. It increases high school dropout rates and very often perpetuates poverty and lack of opportunity, especially for teenage girls.

Throughout the former presidential administration of George W. Bush, most of the available federal funds for combating teenage pregnancy emphasized the abstinence-only approach. Unfortunately, research into the subject has established that abstinence-only programs are completely ineffective over the long-term. Politically conservative influences have strongly opposed any effort to provide birth control to teenagers, especially without their parents' involvement. If the problem of teenage pregnancy is to be reduced effectively, a much more realistic approach is necessary. In that regard, one of the most crucial elements must be the acknowledgement that the majority of American teenagers do become sexually active before the age of adulthood.

Research Questions

1. Would providing birth control to teenagers reduce unwanted teenage pregnancy more effectively than abstinence-only approaches.

i. Would providing birth control and information about avoiding unwanted pregnancy to teenagers be more effective if it were done confidentially?

ii. Would providing information about avoiding sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) within a framework that acknowledged teenage sexual activity patterns be more effective than any previous approach based on abstinence-only approaches.

Hypotheses

1. Providing birth control to teenagers would be a much more effective method of reducing unwanted teenage pregnancy than any abstinence-only methods.

2. Providing birth control to teenagers confidentially would be much more effective at reducing unwanted teenage pregnancy than doing so while requiring parental consent or notification.

3. Both unwanted teenage pregnancy and STD transmission would be more effectively controlled by an approach that recognizes the reality that many teenagers will become sexually active before adulthood that by any program that seeks to reduce teenage sexual activity itself.

Discussion of the Conversation Surrounding the Topic

One of the most fundamental problems with any approach to controlling unwanted teenage pregnancy is that conservative influences on government policy have succeeded in promoting the concept of abstinence instead of responsible sexual behavior. Meanwhile, empirical research has established that abstinence-only programs work only in the very short-term and that participants in groups such as Promise Keepers (etc.) exhibit the identical rates of premarital sexual conduct over the long-term. Because abstinence-only attempts to reduce teenage pregnancy rely exclusively on discouraging sexual behavior, when participants revert to sexual activity, they are no better informed or educated about topics such as responsible birth control than they would have been without any sexual education at all.

Reflection on Specific Experiences of the Researcher

In my experience, teenagers do not generally wait until adulthood before beginning to experiment sexually. Also, in my experience, most teenagers are not willing to or able to discuss the topic of their own sexuality openly with their parents at the time that they begin to experiment sexually. Many teenage girls who would use birth control if it were available confidentially will not do so if it means their parents must be involved in or aware of it at all.

The vast majority of teenagers who pledge to wait until marriage to begin having sex in their early teenage years do not maintain that position by the… READ MORE

How to Reference "Birth Control and Teenagers" Research Proposal in a Bibliography

Related Research Proposals:

Giving Birth Control Devices to Teenagers Essay

Teenagers Birth Control

Proponents believe that it is the key to reducing teenage pregnancy rates, which is a view supported by many pediatricians (Tanner, 2005). According to that view, the… read more

Essay 1 pages (353 words) Sources: 4 Style: MLA Topic: Sexuality / Gender

---

Birth Control Including Abortion and Safe Sex Term Paper

Birth Control/Safe Sex

As a young female of Japanese descent, birth control and safe sex are among the most sensitive issues I can discuss. Sexuality is a tender topic in… read more

Term Paper 3 pages (1030 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Sexuality / Gender

---

Birth Control Reason #1: Jone Essay

2). Teens need access to contraception, and the benefits are shown through the facts that teen pregnancies are down, teen abortions are down (see previous Reason #2), and contraception should… read more

Essay 2 pages (707 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Sexuality / Gender

---

Birth Control: Arguments for and Against Essay

Birth Control: Arguments for and Against

The birth control methods have been with us for many decades now and without shadow of doubt they are meant to control or stop… read more

Essay 2 pages (801 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Sexuality / Gender

---

Argument on Birth Control for Young Girls Term Paper

Birth Control

Teenage Birth Control

Teen pregnancy continues to be one of the biggest problems facing many teenaged girls. One writer notes, "One of every 10 teenage girls in the… read more

Term Paper 1 pages (442 words) Sources: 6 Style: MLA Topic: Sexuality / Gender

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>