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| |    Myths and Realities about Giving the Pill to Preteens, Teens by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. There are times when a doctor will recommend birth control pills for a teenage patient. This may be for contraception if she is sexually active or about to become so, or it might be for a medical reason, such as severe menstrual cramps or acne. Many parents are understandably worried about starting their teenage daughters on this medication, but often this concern is based on outdated information from the days when the Pill contained a much higher dose of hormones. Some general concerns about the Pill are addressed in the article "Myths and Truths about Birth Control Pills." Here, the focus is on the common myths, and the realities, of giving the Pill to preteens and teens. Myth: Girls are more likely to become sexually active if they take birth control pills for medical reasons. Truth: Teen sexual activity is determined by many factors, not simply whether teenagers have birth control available. Research has actually shown that girls who take the Pill for noncontraceptive needs aren't any more likely to become sexually active than those who are not taking the Pill. Myth: The Pill poses health risks to teenagers. Truth: The Pill has many health benefits, including less severe acne outbreaks, milder menstrual cramps, lighter and more predictable periods, and a lower risk of ovarian and uterine cancer. Because the Pill cuts the risk of ovarian cancer almost in half, some experts recommend that all young women take the Pill for at least five years, just for this benefit alone. Perhaps just as important, the Pill has not been shown to increase the risk of any type of cancer. For most girls, the health benefits actually outweigh any health risks caused by the Pill. Myth: Younger teens' bodies are too physically immature to handle the hormones of birth control pills. Truth: Once a girl has shown signs of starting puberty, such as breast development and periods, her hormones are in the adult range. There is no reason to think that the Pill would be any more risk to her than to older girls or women. Myth: The Pill causes infertility. Truth: Research has shown that by one year off the Pill, menstrual cycles are the same as they would have been anyway. If a teenager is taking the Pill for irregular cycles, though, she may once again have irregular cycles when she goes off the Pill later in life, and this may indicate irregular ovulations and diminished fertility. These sorts of fertility problems are usually treatable with medications. Also, while the Pill does not directly lead to tubal infection or obstruction, sexually active teenagers may participate in other behaviors that put themselves at risk. For example, having multiple sexual partners and using condoms inconsistently (which unfortunately are the norm for some sexually active teenagers) puts future fertility at risk, since the sexually transmitted infections chlamydia and gonorrhea can lead to permanent damage to, and obstruction of, the fallopian tubes.
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