The Battle Over Depo-Provera

The Guttmacher Institute on Thursday cited Depo-Provera -- a long-acting injectable contraceptive that has been on the market since 1993 -- as a major contributor to the lowest level of teen pregnancy since the 1970s.

"I only have to come in every three months and I'm only here for 15 minutes and that's it," said Agatha Washelewski, a 19-year-old woman who has been taking the drug for two years.

The contraceptive is popular among teens - especially younger teens - because federal law prohibits parents from being notified of its use.

"A lot of teens that come say part of the reason they're choosing that method is that they can do it privately," says Dr. Laura MacIsaac, of Planned Parenthood of New York.

However, Republican members of Congress want to change the law because of an incident that occurred last year in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

A 37-year-old gym teacher there took a 13-year-old student to a clinic at least three times for depo-provera shots so the two could have sex without fear of the girl getting pregnant.

"The government has no right to do something to your children without you knowing about it," says Rep. Tom Coburn [R-Oklahoma]. Himself a doctor, Coburn says parents should know if their children are at risk both for side effects from the drug and sexually transmitted diseases.

"I won't see an adolescent for family planning without the parents permission and then I spend the vast majority of my time trying to teach them that this is a bad choice," he says.

But critics fear parental notification will take away that choice for many young women, and reverse some of the gains in fighting teen pregnancy.

Reported by John Roberts
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