SHOULD you allow your adolescent daughter to commence contraception?
Nothing tests parents as rigorously as trying to answer this question.
The difficulty emanates not so much from the actual decision, but from the unpredictability of the probable outcome. Allowing this might be misconstrued as granting permission to have sex. But delaying permission might surprise parents. You might find yourself becoming young grandparents or secretly scanning the yellow pages for an abortion clinic address or phone number.
Even worse, your daughter's best friend might tell you that your child was pregnant and had terminated the pregnancy. Then you would have to help your child deal with the consequences of her actions. You will have to deal with a once bright girl suddenly bringing home poor school results due to the psychological effects of the abortion. You might even have to go for countless visits to the psychologist to undo the harm.
The fact is, there is a lot to consider before granting or denying permission.
Adolescents enjoy experimenting. Like a science lab, where experiments precedes discovery, a young girl's quest for self discovery will drive her to experiment, from sex to substance abuse. At this stage, peer approval, collaboration and conformity take priority. Parental coaching, disciple and intimidation often yield no positive results. The only people teens listen to are friends. This recklessness and irresponsibility characteristic is not entirely deliberate and is to some extent hormone driven.
Today girls menstruate at the very tender age of 11 or 12 years so they become sexually mature early. Being reproductively ready at a stage of experimenting is a challenge for parents. It is during this time that the debate on contraception often take place and where parents find it difficult to decide whether to grant or deny contraceptive usage. It is crucial for parents to seriously consider allowing contraceptives to curtail unplanned and unwanted pregnancies.
Prevention dilemma for parents
SHOULD you allow your adolescent daughter to commence contraception?
Nothing tests parents as rigorously as trying to answer this question.
The difficulty emanates not so much from the actual decision, but from the unpredictability of the probable outcome. Allowing this might be misconstrued as granting permission to have sex. But delaying permission might surprise parents. You might find yourself becoming young grandparents or secretly scanning the yellow pages for an abortion clinic address or phone number.
Even worse, your daughter's best friend might tell you that your child was pregnant and had terminated the pregnancy. Then you would have to help your child deal with the consequences of her actions. You will have to deal with a once bright girl suddenly bringing home poor school results due to the psychological effects of the abortion. You might even have to go for countless visits to the psychologist to undo the harm.
The fact is, there is a lot to consider before granting or denying permission.
Adolescents enjoy experimenting. Like a science lab, where experiments precedes discovery, a young girl's quest for self discovery will drive her to experiment, from sex to substance abuse. At this stage, peer approval, collaboration and conformity take priority. Parental coaching, disciple and intimidation often yield no positive results. The only people teens listen to are friends. This recklessness and irresponsibility characteristic is not entirely deliberate and is to some extent hormone driven.
Today girls menstruate at the very tender age of 11 or 12 years so they become sexually mature early. Being reproductively ready at a stage of experimenting is a challenge for parents. It is during this time that the debate on contraception often take place and where parents find it difficult to decide whether to grant or deny contraceptive usage. It is crucial for parents to seriously consider allowing contraceptives to curtail unplanned and unwanted pregnancies.
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