Teens' common birth control mistakes

When discussing birth control methods with teens, it is important to consider some of the reasons that they are used incorrectly or inconsistently. Help your teen make an action plan for avoiding these mistakes, and encourage dual use such as using hormonal and barrier methods together.

Common reasons for missing birth control pills:

  • Away from home without pills
  • Forgot
  • Didn’t re-fill prescription
  • Doing something else
  • Travel, job transition, irregular schedule
  • Other disruptions in routine like a family crisis or school pressure
  • Fell asleep
  • Health issues, like having the flu or throwing up
  • Side effects

When the pill is used incorrectly, it is eight times less effective than if it were used accurately, so it is important to make a plan for common reasons for missing the pill. More teens are choosing alternative hormonal methods of birth control, like contraceptive injections, vaginal rings and birth control patches, to avoid these issues.

Common mistakes and problems with condom use:

  • Tearing or puncturing condom when opening the package with a sharp instrument
  • Keeping them in a wallet for more than a month could cause them to deteriorate
  • Unrolling the condom before putting it on
  • Putting the condom on inside out, then flipping it over
  • Not holding on to the base of the condom when pulling out
  • Re-using a condom
  • Losing an erection and having the condom fall off

No matter who puts the condom on, both guys and girls are about as likely to make the same errors.

Common reasons for inconsistent use:

  • Didn’t have a condom
  • Didn’t want to interrupt the heat of the moment to put it on
  • Couldn’t put it on correctly, so didn’t bother to use it
  • Was under the influence of alcohol or drugs and didn’t remember or didn’t want to use it
  • Wishful thinking – thought they could get away with it
  • Lacked refusal or communications skills to insist on condom use
  • Losing an erection and having the condom fall off

Many of these reasons are also applicable to other barrier methods like diaphragms or female condoms.

More Birth Control Resources for You and Your Teen:

Carolina Teen Health's Contraceptive Comparison Tool
Pocket Protector from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
Birth Control Information from the Mayo Clinic

Source: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, "Careful, current and consistent: Tips to Improve Contraceptive Use."