According to the Ohio Department of Health, abortion rates in the Franklin County area have lowered following a slight increase in the mid-1990s.
This may suggest young people are better educated regarding sex or that they are choosing to be abstinent until a later point in life.
“I feel that both of these steps are important in preventing pregnancy, and it would be extremely difficult to determine which is ‘most’ important,” said Dr. Ted Grace, director of Student Health Services at the Wilce Student Health Center.
In recent years, abortion rates have dropped slightly, said a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Health.
Recent studies show the decline in abortion rates may also indicate young people are better educated on available birth control methods.
For Ohio State students, receiving birth control pills or patches is very easily done, Grace said.
“It’s as easy as getting any other prescription,” Grace said. “A student just needs to pick up the phone and make an appointment with the Student Health Center or any other area medical provider for women’s services to have a routine yearly exam.”
The health center has also made the “morning-after-pill” easily available to the students at OSU.
“It has gotten more publicity recently with the switch to the safer Plan B products, but we haven’t really seen a big jump in its use,” Grace said.
Eddie Pauline, the President of the Undergraduate Student Government, was pleasantly surprised to hear that the abortion rates may be lowering because of students choosing to remain abstinent.
“This is good news to hear. It shows that the students have maturity,” Pauline said.
Sex and abortion are being talked about more on campus and this contributes to students becoming more responsible, Pauline said.
Some students do not agree that young people are choosing abstinence, said Liz Ribich, a sophomore in accounting.
“I haven’t noticed any changes in the students’ behavior,” Ribich said.
Ribich explained how students at OSU can find ample opportunities to educate and protect themselves in this matter.
“There are many programs where students get education, whether they participate in safety groups such as the Condom Club or take the advantage of the free handouts from Planned Parenthood available at the involvement fairs and other events,” Ribich said.
The attitudes and actions of the students haven’t changed, said Melissa Brabender, a sophomore in accounting. “I do believe, though, that many teenagers are beginning to approach this risky issue with intelligence and advanced planning.”
