A Teen Guide to Birth Control

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up A serviceable discussion of the array of birth control methods currently used, this book is useful for term papers on the subject but less so for advice to young people on which method to use. Sixteen pages treat ``natural'' methods of birth control, i.e., coitis interruptus, rhythm, and extended nursing, none of which are really effective methods for young couples. Fifteen pages discuss barrier methods such as the diaphragm, condom, spermicidals, and the sponge. Nowhere is there a suggestion that two barrier methods, the condom and the diaphragm, would, when used together, virtually eliminate the chance of an unwanted pregnancy. The other virtually certain method is the pill, which is discussed exhaustively in a separate chapter. The section on the rhythm method is unique in a book for young people, as it goes into detail about how to determine the time of ovulation. Illustrations are excellent, as is the organization of the book. The style is rather dry and academic. This is the only up-to-date book exclusively on this subject for this audience. For practical advice to young people, see chapters in Bell's Changing Bodies, Changing Lives (Vintage, 1988). Ann Scarpellino, Ramsey Public Library, N.J.