Generational Gaps in Birth Control Knowledge

by Shauna
Web Correspondent 
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund

There is a real need for better, more targeted sexual education out there. We have a whole generation that is operating under major misconceptions about pregnancy and birth control. That means a large number of unplanned pregnancies and unhealthy sexual practices. No, we're not talking about teenagers; it seems the group that needs the sexual education refresher course are twenty-somethings. According to an article in the Pioneer Press, twenty-somethings are suffering from a severe lack of knowledge and awareness about the realities around birth control. What works, when it works, and how it works are all questions that are not being asked by this group, and that means they are inappropriately using birth control, or not using it consistently enough to make it effective. As the article points out, 70% of the pregnancies in this age group are unplanned.

How did this happen? Has this generation been overlooked and poorly served by their parents and the educational community? How did these myths and misconceptions of birth control get to be so commonly held and treated as fact? Whatever the reason, the point remains that something needs to be done. We cannot have a whole generation operating under, and now creating a new generation of their own, this bad information. They may be adults and responsible for their own decisions and actions, but as a society we have failed in our duty to them and need to rectify this mistake while we can still make a difference. If you are part of this generation, have friends or children in this generation, please be sure and point them in the right direction of accurate and timely sexual health information, like this site provided by Planned Parenthood. Don't be embarrassed or feel it isn't your place. Not only is that kind of thinking what got this  generation into this situation, you can use your concerns as the jumping off point for the conversation. A person's sexual health may be a private issue, but it's impact can be felt throughout society as a whole, especially when an entire generation doesn't even know the risks they are facing.