The emphasis of a recent story about teen pregnancy ("CDC study: Many teen moms didn't think they could get pregnant, didn't use birth control," StarTribune.com) was a little disingenuous to young women who find themselves pregnant.
Although magical thinking is common in teenage years (it can't happen to me), only a third of those studied didn't think they could get pregnant.
What's more concerning to me is that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies short-term reversible birth control options (oral contraceptives, the patch, the ring) as being highly effective, despite data that show failure rates of 8 percent with typical use (CDC, 2004) and higher rates of failure in teens.
We need to start teaching our girls that "the Pill" is not their best choice for preventing pregnancies. Long-term reversible birth control options such as the IUD (five to 10 years), the implantable rod (three years) and the injectable (three months) are better options.
DR. ERIC MEININGER, MINNEAPOLIS
