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This birth control module was developed by the University of Alberta Health Services. Unprotected sex is common among high school and university students. Why? Is there information in this software that might convince you to use birth control? Given what you know about logical inevitability, what additional information or other approach might convince adolescents to use birth control? Young adults?
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I believe that nothing will convince people to use birth control if they don't want to. I personally use birth control, but that is a personal choice. Everyone is aware through, many different ways, such as school, pamphlets, courses, skits etc. of the benefits, as well as the costs of birth control, if they do not, there are many ways a person could find this out.

I think that birth control isn't as poplular as it should be for alot of reasons, one being the embarassment of buying them. If a couple lives in a small town it is hard to walk in to the drug store where your mom's best friend works and buy a box of condoms, or it isn't that easy to go to a doctor you have had since birth and ask for the pill never mind, going to the pharmasist who just happens to be you boyfriends aunt. I think these are the main reasons why protection isn't used. Also some may be concerned about the actual price of these things. What people don't realize or choose not to realize it the cost of these things if they are not used.

Although I know all the information, I know that if I didn't want to use protection for whatever reason, I wouldn't use it no matter what facts are presented to me.

Personally I feel that the most benificial way to try to get teen to buy birth control would be to somehow make it more discreet. Ideally the taboo's about birth control should be erased, but we all know that that is not going to happen, so we will just have to live with it and do what we can to help and keep educating teens about the benefits of using birth control as well as the results of what may happen without the use of it.

I couldn't download this program but I like to think I'm somewhat informed on the issue so I will try to comment anyway.

I agree with Jep that discreetness would help in the campaign to get young people to use birth control. I also think that high school and college students don't use birth control for other reasons. One reason is that there seems to be a lot of spontanious "party" sex going on in the nineties. You go to a party with nothing on your mind but getting drunk. Once you are drunk there are a very few other things to do. Having sex is one of them. If you are not having it with someone you have been seeing for a long time, chances are, you are not on the pill and chances of the guy having a condom probably aren't very high. And chances of the girl carying a diaphram are probably alot slimmer. Then there is always the issue of these little technological devices ruining the "passion".

Since logical inevitability is based on a larger concept being based on smaller, simpler concepts, it would make sense that education and knowledge would be the answer. A lot of people have the, "it won't happen to me" attitude, but they need to know that as long as they have all the vital organs as well as their partner's that pregnancy can occur. I think that not only is knowledge about biological aspects important but also about how a person has to give up so much freedom and time to raise a child. I think that if you put any 15 year old in a situation where they have a baby to look after for more than 24hrs, they will run from the next hormone raging boy they see!!

Jep, I also posted to the other site. You should take a look at it (the site). It's interesting! Anyway, If Mike doesn't post soon, I think you should go ahead with the summary. It was reccomended to us.

I agree that "party sex" is very popular today, I would have to say that most women of the nineties are more likely to use birth control wether with a steady boyfriend or not. Just because awareness is out there more than before and they don't want to take a chance. Also their are STD's to consider and for these there are different types of contraceptions and protection to use such as condoms, foams, gels, sponges etc, that have to be carried around, and these are less likely to be used because of the ackwardness as well as the break in the mood.

Now there are also school programs, and planned parenthood programs where the students have to take care of a computerized doll which is programed to respond to certain situations in certain ways exactly like a real child. Since their mark is based on the care of this "doll" they are more likely to care for the child and realize how much work it is and will raise their awareness.

I'll wait till tomorrow night to post the summary and give mike a chance

Sounds good!

Hi guys!

I'm responding to Jep's first post (sorry to be abit late). A student and I did some interesting questionnaire research a number of years ago. High school students in St Albert weren't bothered about buying condoms in stores but high school students in Stettler were. However, neither group was terribly likely to use condoms (or any other form of birth control). Few condoms were purchased in the washrooms of St Albert schools in the first 2 years after vending machines were installed. So... I think there is something more than difficulty/discomfort in purchasing birth control that keeps teens from using it.

Connie

Hi. I think that almost everybody I know is really well informed about birth control. I think that the educators have done all that they can to ensure that the knowledge is available to anyone interested. However, I believe that the problem is that to many people are simply not interested in birth control. They believe that it won't happen to them. I see many similarities between birth control and drunk driving. Everyone knows the consequences, but continue the dangerous activities.
Those that do accept the responsibility placed on safe sex probably do feel embarassed about birth control. I mean not just about buying contraceptives, but in the use of them. The first time someone tries using new product,there is confusion and then probably embarrassment, especially if their partner is waiting. If the birth control campaign is to have any effect, I suggest shock value. We've all seen and heard films and commercials on the dangers of drunk driving, so why not on unprotected sex?
Because of the awkwardness that young people feel, They probably aren't willing to look 'foolish' in front of their partner. That's probably why condom machines have gone unused. People are scared to try. I think that is why unprotected sex continues even though students are informed.

When I was in high school, a guy was considered very cool if he carried a condom. Of course it implied something that all the other guys looked up to. But a girl might be considered a "slut"if she carried one. I guess that tells us something about gender role development. However in the bathroom at the U of A there is an ad showing a girl from the neck to just below the breasts and all she is wearing is a bra. Not a sexy, lace bra but a plain, ordinary bra that say, a U of A student might wear. She has a condom stuck in the top of it and the ad is followed with some motivating comment about birth control that I can't remember right now. I think this says something about how a girl's gender role seems to change throughout maturity and hopefully that society is changing to accept that it is ok for girls to have sex too.

Summary

Well as shown in the discussion there are many different aspects that will effect wether or not birth control is used in high schools and universities. There are many reasons why birth control is not used inclucing embarrassment of buying as well as the actual use of birth control, or maybe even something new. High school students that have never used protection before don't want to risk embarrassment of not knowing exactly how to use it or not being fast enough. While people that may be more experienced may simply be to embarrassed to talk about it.

It was mentioned that by using discreetness when purchasing birth contol, may help the struggle to get young adults to use protection, but also there was the idea of the "scare tactic". Both or these are good ideas and would help. Obviously not only one or two ideas is going to reach everyone, and even if there were more ideas, they may not reach everyone because, everyone thinks and feels differently about birth control. Basically the main thing is to communicate and keep the topic always open for discussion, with your kids and students and even friends. If with a partner talk about it, maybe he/she is totally into using protection but is to embarrassed to say anything. A good point was mentioned about advertising birth control like you would drinking and driving and that would work really well.
By increasing the information available and advertising the real effects of birth control as well as encouraging use and saying it's nothing to be embarrassed about maybe one day the use of birth control will increase.