Is Birth Control For Autistic Teens Appropriate?

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by Ann Marie Dwyer 

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• Created on: December 16, 2007
• Last Updated: February 08, 2011

The inability of autistic children to appreciate the scope of the consequences of their actions, despite repeated rendition of the same by parents and authority figures, places them at an even greater disadvantage as teen parents than their non-autistic counterparts. With the variances in the broad spectrum of autism, it is irresponsible to allow autistic teens to have unprotected sex.

High- to mid-functioning autistic teens are as curious as other teens. Nature takes it course with or without sex education. Without the ability to discern the long term implications of their behavior, autistic teens are in higher danger of becoming pregnant or impregnating another than their non-autistic peers.

A recent class for autistic teens introduced sex education. The teens were shown how to apply a condom on a banana. Within a month, one of the teens was pregnant. She went on to explain to her parents and teachers that she did not understand how she got pregnant. They had put the condom on the banana, just the way that the teacher had shown them, before they had sex.

Autistic teens have difficulty verbalizing exactly what is in their minds. This leads to garbled information which a non-autistic teen or adult thinks is clearly explained. Autism affects the problem-solving skills as well as the learning capacity of a teen.

As many autistic teens are cared for by parents, it is the parents' responsibility to reduce the chance that they will be caring for an autistic teen with a child. Occupational therapy for autistic persons is rudimentary skills only, like file manipulation and piece work. It does not attempt to address the life skills necessary to care for an infant or a child.

Lacking the mental capacity to grasp the complex concepts of parenting, autistic teens will never function effectively as parents. They rarely comprehend the consequences of everyday actions and cannot fathom the long term consequences of pregnancy.

Since parents with one autistic child have an 80% increased chance at having a second autistic child, the genetic implication is clear. If parents can carry the "autism gene", certainly the autistic person will have the "autism gene". Birth control for autistic teens is not only appropriate but also responsible.

While reproductive rights advocates clamor this is a blatant violation of rights, they make no effort to address the consequences of autistic mothers and fathers, especially teens. Teen parents have a hard enough time when they do not have to cope with autism. Autistic teens who will never be able to care for themselves autonomously should not bring a child into their life through unprotected sex.

As a parent to severely autistic children, I have to face the disappointment of no grandchildren from my sons, who are forever non-verbal children trapped in the bodies of men.