Free birth control cuts teen pregnancy

Giving teens free birth control encourages them to use long-acting methods and greatly cuts the chances they will become pregnant or have an abortion, a new study finds.

The average annual pregnancy rate was 34 per 1,000 girls in the study — far below the national average of 158.5 for sexually active teens.

Doctors say the results show that when money is not a factor, teens will chose IUDs and hormone implants over less reliable methods such as birth control pills or condoms. Nearly three-fourths of teens in the study picked long-acting methods; only 5 percent of U.S. teens use those now.

“When costs are removed, young people and families will use these effective methods,” said Dr. Mary Ott of Indiana University. She had no role in the study but led an American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statement earlier this week urging long-acting contraception, a stance other doctor groups endorse.

She said the study shows that more can be done to curb teen pregnancy. “It’s good for the teens and it’s cost-effective for society” to offer free, effective birth control, Ott said.

Paying for birth control, especially IUDs, or intrauterine devices, has long been a contentious issue. In June, the Supreme Court sided with the company Hobby Lobby and said that employers with religious objections could opt out of a federal rule requiring insurers to cover contraceptives. The Obama administration has been looking at other ways to increase access to birth control.