Others might be afraid or embarrassed to go to their doctor or a clinic, or to buy it in a drug store, especially if they think that they will get a lecture about being sexually active. Some feel that planning for sex takes away the romance. Some think that you can't pregnant at certain times of the month, or the first time you have sexual intercourse. Or, they might think the guy will take care of everything. They may not realize that there are safe and effective methods of birth control.
Many methods are actually safer than pregnancy for young women.
The chance of problems during pregnancy, such as toxemia and anemia, are higher for a young woman because she hasn't yet completed her own growth period. For many young women, the biggest result of early childbearing may be cutting short their education. Although most teenage mothers do not marry, those who do face a high chance of divorce within 5 years, often after having a second or third child. Like women of any age, teenage women who have strong supports around them tend to face fewer problems during and after pregnancy. National studies have shown that teen mothers and their children do much better when they receive economic and emotional support from parents and other relatives.