The Federal American Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently been involved in a battle against unwanted pregnancies in minors. They have currently joined forces with the American Pediatric Society. According to the Pediatrics journal, “there’s no point in beating about the bush“. It “therefore recommends an implant or intrauterine device as a first-choice contraceptive for minors over 15 years of age“. The American Pediatric Society argues more in favour of these so-called “long-acting” contraceptives than other contraceptive methods such as the pill and condom.
“We have come to this conclusion based on the level of efficacy of various methods after one year’s use, the aim being to prevent as many unwanted pregnancies as possible“, explained Dr. Mary Ott, co-author of the recommendations and paediatrician at Indianapolis University Hospital (United States).
According to the CDC, “600,000 young girls become pregnant in the United States. By 20 years of age, 18% of them have had a child“. According to Le Figaro santé, since the first decade of this millennium, this number has remained stable and a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed “that by informing a population of young, sexually active American girls between 15 and 19 years of age about possible contraceptives, outlining the level of efficacy and providing these contraceptives free of charge, young girls choose the implant and the intra-uterine device in 71% of cases.“
Nevertheless, the journalist stated that in the United States, as in France, “some doctors and patients are still reticent to fit these young girls with an intra-uterine device“.
Gènéthique Note:
“The coil or intra-uterine device is inserted into the uterine cavity to prevent pregnancies. It has a contraceptive effect in that it poses a chemical obstacle to the sperm, preventing it (albeit not always) from reaching the oocyte. It also has an early abortive effect when a sperm nevertheless manages to reach and fertilise the oocyte. It prevents the embryo from becoming implanted in the uterus and causes it to perish (it alters the uterine cavity and the embryo can no longer become implanted)”.
Le Figaro Santé (Aude Rambaud) 12/10/2014 – Gènéthique