Rates of adolescent pregnancy in the United States are the highest in the developed world,¹ and most pregnancies in adolescence are unplanned.² Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), including subdermal implants and intrauterine systems, are recommended as first-line contraceptives for adolescents by the American Academy of Pediatrics, as they have the highest continuation rates (78%-84% after 1 year of use) and lowest failure rates (<1% per year with typical use) of all contraceptive methods.³ Health care professionals are encouraged to mention LARCs first and strongly recommend them when reviewing contraceptive options with adolescents. The goal of this well-intentioned recommendation was to reduce reluctance among health care professionals to offer LARCs to adolescents, thus improving young women’s access to and uptake of highly effective and convenient contraceptive options. However, health care professionals should remember that LARCs may not be the best choice for every adolescent girl.

在美国，青春期怀孕率是发达国家中最高的，¹并且大多数的青春期怀孕都是计划外的。²美国儿科学会建议将长效可逆避孕药（LARCs）包括皮下植入物和子宫内系统作为青少年的一线避孕药，因为它们的持续率最高（1年后为78％-84％使用）和所有避孕方法的最低失败率（典型使用率每年<1％）。³鼓励医疗保健专业人员首先提及LARC，并在与青少年一起审查避孕方法时强烈推荐LARC。这份有针对性的建议的目的是减少医疗保健专业人员对向青少年提供LARC的不愿，从而使年轻妇女更容易获得和采用高效，便捷的避孕方法。但是，医疗保健专业人员应该记住，LARC可能并不是每个青春期女孩的最佳选择。