No glove no love

Almost half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended.

While condoms are just waiting in the convenience store down the street, as the specter of Obamacare distributes birth control pills to any woman who will take them, when there are gels, foams, shots and implants that can help prevent pregnancy, almost half of all pregnancies are accidents.

Of these, more than half occur in women who are using some form of contraceptive.   

This is embarrassing.

It would seem that the American public remains woefully uninformed when it comes to contraception, despite its increased availability and variety.

It probably doesn’t help that many of us were subjected to abstinence-only sex education. A curriculum of intimidation and half-truths, abstinence-only programs often paint condoms as laughably ineffective and instills a sense of shame surrounding sexuality.  

Indianapolis schools left me completely ignorant with this heartening message: “any negative consequences of premarital sex are your fault for committing such unconscionable sin.”

This system negatively stigmatizes free discussion of premarital sex, making it harder for us to consult doctors and sex educators about contraception as adults.  

Abstinence-only doesn’t lead to abstinence. It leads to babies and STIs.  

When the 18 percent of sexually active unmarried women who used no birth control method were asked why they refrained, nearly one-third said they thought they could not get pregnant.

Considering that only 10 percent of women even struggle to get pregnant, it is highly unlikely that 32 percent of unmarried women in their 20s are barren.  

When in doubt, assume you can get pregnant, and take steps to reduce that possibility if pregnancy is unwanted.  

Talk to your doctor about birth control.

Many women are unaware of the full range of options they have to prevent pregnancy. Though the pill is the most common form of contraception in the U.S., it is not the most effective. Because there are so many opportunities for human error with the pill, it’s only 91 percent effective in common use, while IUDs and implants are always more-than 99 percent effective.   

Talk to your partner about birth control. As in, use it. Know who’s bringing what to the boudoir.

Use condoms. The IU Health Center has condoms. Planned Parenthood has condoms. Convenience stores have condoms. Find me and I will give you a condom.

Know how to use said condoms. Incorrect use can render them completely ineffective. Instructions are usually included with purchase, and you can find them online.  

Actually read these instructions.

If you’re serious about learning a thing or two, contact a sex educator. Contact Planned Parenthood, which offers a lot of educational resources and programs — schedule one. A visit to its website could make all the difference.    

Starting a family should be a major life decision, not an accident. With the agency contraception gives us, why would we not take advantage of it?

­— casefarr@indiana.edu