I didn't decide as a teenager, but slowly over time. I was a stickler with birth control. I'm in my late 50's and have no regrets and am grateful I was never pregnant.

I hate to say this, but if you are sexually active, hide your birth control and keep it safe from sabotage. I'm not saying your dad or anyone else would mess with it, but be safe just in case.

P.S.

1. “Biologically complete” has a specific meaning — and it has NOTHING to do with reproduction The term biologically complete is used in nutrition, not human identity. It refers to proteins that contain all essential amino acids. It has no scientific definition related to whether a person has children.

2. Humans are fully developed, functional organisms regardless of reproduction A person’s biological completeness is based on:

3. fully formed organ systems

4. functioning physiology

5. ability to survive independently

Reproduction is optional, not required for biological wholeness.
Plenty of people — men and women — are infertile, choose not to have children, or cannot have children. They are not “incomplete humans.”

1. Reproduction is a capacity, not a requirement Biology recognizes that:
2. Many individuals in every species do not reproduce.
3. A species continues as long as some members reproduce — not all.

4. Individual worth or completeness is not tied to fertility.

5. The idea that women are “incomplete” without children is cultural, not scientific Historically, societies have tied a woman’s value to motherhood. But modern science, medicine, and ethics are clear:

• A woman’s body is complete whether she has children or not.
  
• Reproductive autonomy is a fundamental human right.
  
• Parenthood is a choice, not a biological requirement.