Prevent teenage pregnancies

It's difficult to talk about teenagers engaging in sexual activity. But it's a public health issue Iowa communities of every size must deal with, as two recent surveys clearly show.

The first, by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, a not-for-project organization based in Washington, D.C., indicates that our country's rural teenagers are more likely to engage in sexual activity, and less likely to use contraception when doing so, than their urban counterparts.

In fact, according to a separate study by Eyes Open Iowa, a Des Moines-based organization which advocates for teen sexual education, the smaller the county, the more likely a teen will engage in sexual activity.

It should come as no surprise, then that teen birthrates also are higher in our rural communities.

A Gazette Analysis of Eyes Open Iowa data, taken from the Iowa Department of Public Health statistics from 2008 to 2012, shows that 39 of Iowa's 66 counties with populations of fewer than 20,000 had teen birthrates higher than the state average of 24 births per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 years old.

Clarke County - with a population of 9,325 in south-central Iowa - had the highest teen birthrate in the state - with a rate of 54.3 per 1,000 teenage girls.

Preventing teen pregnancy begins with open and honest conversations about sex and the potential consequences of risky behavior, with comprehensive sex education and by making contraception readily accessible to those teens who do choose to become sexually active - something that can be especially complicated in smaller communities, where privacy and accessibility are a concern.

For instance, teens may be hesitant to buy condoms at a local pharmacy or local retailer in fear of seeing someone they know. Teens may not have access to urban areas, where contraception is more readily accessible. These are barriers that can and must be overcome. It is in society's best interest to do so.

We disagree that making contraception available will encourage teens to have sex when they otherwise are not inclined to do so. We also know when it's not available to sexually active teens, the consequences can be life-altering.

Whether we want to talk about it or not, many Iowa teens are having sex. Offering comprehensive sex education and accessible contraception is the right and responsible thing to do.

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