PUBERTY

According to research, unwanted adolescent pregnancies have markedly increased. They are estimated around 84 million per year globally, and in around 33 million of such cases, no contraceptive method was used.

In Greece, according to the Ministry of Health, 4 in 5 teenagers that have begun having sexual relations without using a contraceptive method, run the risk of an unwanted pregnancy during the first year of their sexual contacts. The number of abortions is estimated to 100.000-250.000 per year, while 20%-25% of them is performed to girls under the age of 16.

Contraceptive methods prevent the transmission of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and unwanted pregnancies. There are various methods:

–  The abstention from sexual activity or coitus interrupts (withdrawal) “pull–out method”, where a man ejaculates outside the vagina

–  Male and female condom

–  Contraceptive pills

–  Other methods not usually applied at your age, such as the contraceptive coil

Remember that the ideal contraceptive method, needs to be safe, effective, tolerable and have the least side effects possible.

The “pull-out” method is the most popular one among teenagers, though it has high rates of failure.

On the other hand, the second most common used method is the male condom and has the following advantages:

• It’s cheap

• It protects from the Sexually Transmitted Diseases

• The rates of failure are near 2% (ideal use), when you use it every time you have sex and during the intercourse.

Birth control pills are the oldest method of hormonal contraception, since they are used for more than 40 years and the safety of their use has been proved by millions of women. Contraceptive pills, beyond preventing pregnancy at a 99.7% rate, have also other benefits, such as reducing acne and pilosity and improving your cycle. However, you should avoid smoking while you’re on the pill, because you ran the risk of cardiovascular diseases and blood clotting. However, no studies suggest that contraceptive pills cause weight gain.

Finally, there are also long term contraceptive methods, such as the contraceptive coil, though not very popular in Greece. It is inserted in the uterus for a long period of time, about 5 years, it is highly effective against pregnancy, but does not protect against sexually transmitted infections.

Remember that the combination of male condom and contraceptive pills, is the ideal method to avoid unwanted pregnancy and protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases.

However, the best and safest way for a teenager to decide which contraceptive method to use, is to consult her gynecologist.

Vassilios Karountzos

Resident physician in Obstetrics and Gynaecology,PhD candidate at the Medical School of Athens University, Scientific Associate of the Greek Society of Adolescent Medicine

Efthymios Deligeoroglou

Professor of Obstetrics - Gynecology, at the Medical School of Athens University, Scientific Associate of the Greek Society of Adolescent Medicine

Artemis Tsitsika

Ass. Professor of Pediatrics - Adolescent Medicine

Scientific Coordinator of the Program "PROLEPSIS» ran by the Greek Society of Adolescent Medicine