An influential minority of individuals promote
unrealistic, abstinence-only programs and parental
consent requirements for obtaining contraception
that deny American teens accurate information
about and confidential access to family planning
services to prevent pregnancy. However, even
individuals who support abstinence-only programs
and parental consent recognize the dangers of such
measures.
Planned Parenthood believes that it is important to
help teens delay having sexual intercourse, but it
also believes that policy makers must accept the fact
that teens engage in sexual behavior, and they must
initiate and provide funding for various programs and
interventions that will facilitate responsible sexual
behavior.