I came of age during the era of the Pill and the sexual revolution.

At first, we were told that this hormonal contraception would be the liberator of both married and unmarried women, freeing the unmarried from the stigma of unwed motherhood and freeing the married from the burden of too many children. We were told that the Pill was absolutely reliable and safe. All we had to do was take one pill every day until we wanted a baby.

Fast forward 40 years.

On July 6, 2015, Business Insider published the article “Here’s What Happened when Colorado Offered Free Birth Control“ touting the success of newer, long-acting birth control methods that are implanted or inserted into women to prevent pregnancy even for years and are claimed to be more effective.

It turns out that the Pill was not so reliable. Note this quote from the article:

“According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, about 9% of women using the pill, patch, or ring for three years will get pregnant.” emphasis added)

But if you read the actual NEJM study, the study’s actual statistics for the Pill are even worse:
“Annual failure rates with typical use of oral contraceptive pills are estimated at 9% for the general population, 13% for teenagers, and 30% or higher for some high-risk subgroups>.” (emphasis added)

With these rates and school sex education programs promoting contraception, no wonder Planned Parenthood becomes a self-perpetuating abortion/contraception industry.

The article also states that:

“The emphasis on long-acting contraception, like intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants, is important because the devices are permanent and last for years”. (emphasis added)

Unmentioned is that the problems with the longer-acting contraceptives like the IUDs and implants, problems like cost and side effects such as pain, bleeding, etc. have led almost 1 out of 4 women to stop using them according to a 2013 Family Medicine article.

Also unmentioned is the potential for the longer-acting contraceptive to mask an infertility issue when such contraceptives are used for years.

But this might be the real rationale behind this article publicizing the need for funding of free long-acting contraception in Colorado (and possibly elsewhere):

Between 2009 and 2015, “teen births dropped 40 percent, abortions fell 35 percent and the state avoided more than $80 million in Medicaid costs” according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s website.

Years ago, I made sure my minor daughters were aware of the physical, emotional and spiritual problems with artificial contraception and sex outside of marriage. However, they were both pressured-without my knowledge-by doctors about using artificial contraceptives. One refused and is now glad she did but my other daughter gave in and went to Planned Parenthood. She subsequently became pregnant at age 18 and later had to have surgery for a HPV (Human Papillomavirus Virus) infection.

With supportive articles like the one here and the legal confidentiality requirement that excludes parents, are we running the risk that long-acting contraception might be imposed on our minor children in the future supposedly for their own good and the good of society?

Now I fear it might be inevitable.