In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics published its policy statement on contraception for adolescents, which provides, in effect, a mandate to temporarily sterilize all adolescents with long-acting reversible contraceptives for five to ten years. The author reviews the AAP guidelines and their effects on Catholic adolescents, their families, and adolescent health care providers. He then discusses medicolegal issues raised by the policy, outlines Catholic strategies for combating it, and proposes a diocese-based physician-led program for teaching and counseling elementary and high school students.
long-acting reversible contraceptives adolescents AAP policy, Catholic response to adolescent contraception mandate, LARC temporary sterilization adolescents ethical concerns, American Academy of Pediatrics contraception policy Catholic critique, diocese-based physician program adolescent reproductive health education, medicolegal issues adolescent contraception policy, Catholic strategies against adolescent LARC guidelines, Fitzgerald long-acting contraceptives adolescents Catholic bioethics, faith-based alternatives to adolescent contraception programs, Catholic school reproductive health teaching counseling program
DOI 10.5840/ncbq20161618 10.5840/ncbq20161618
Cite this article
Fitzgerald, J. E. (2016). Long-acting contraceptives for adolescents. The national Catholic bioethics quarterly, 16(1), 63-81. https://doi.org/10.5840/ncbq20161618
Mirkes R, 2020·The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly
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