It depends on the reason. If she's having excessive back pain or other problems during her period, the birth control may be able to help. If she wants it for obvious reasons then you should probably sit down and have a long talk with her.

I would let her know first off that I am proud of her to be so adult as to want to take control of her future and that she came to me about it. I would also be a little proud of myself to have helped a relationship grow in which my daughter came to me with a question like that. I NEVER could have gone to my mother about it or any sex conversation.

I would comply with her wishes and get her an appointment with my gyn or one of her choosing if she'd feel more comfortable with someone specific. I would have a conversation with the doctor beforehand if possible to let him/her know what is going on and to let the doctor know some of my wishes:(16, first time on birth control, I'd prefer her to wait, please give her the medical - not mom- ramifications to having sex).
After that, I would have a (hopefully continuing) discussion about resposibility, the emotional aspect of having sex, the fact the birth control won't stop any diseases and that I'd much prefer her to wait. If she's already had sex with her boyfriend, I'd try to explain to her that it's not too late to stop.

I don't want my children to feel the need to wait until marriage, but I want them to be in a stable, loving relationship which both partners see as possibly ending in marriage- not just some fly-by-night thing.

I will want to know why she needs a birth control at this age. I will be glad that she come to me though. I will explain everything about birth control methods as well as the importance of safe sex. Since she asked for it, I think, if I am not helping her out, she might get into trouble. So as a mother it is my duty to give her that, to avoid the future complex problems.

I would get it for her. And then require a very LARGE glass of wine afterward to cope with the idea that my little girl is considering becoming a woman.

We all wish that, as parents, when we say no, that's the end of it. But you know and I know that your little girl will have sex whenever she feels she wants to. The best we can do is encourage her to wait, explain all the risks and consequences of sexual activity (from pregnancy to STDs to emotional changes to OB/GYN visits). Help her understand the gravity of the situation.

Then get her the pills. If she decides to say no and wait for sex, they won't do her any harm. And it may actually empower her, just knowing she has the choice of having sex or not. Sometimes that can be enough.

Plus, there's the added benefit that giving her the pills will help her choose to come straight to you if any other sexual problems or questions arise. Trust and support is an important thing for teenage girls.

I'd help her get the birth control. The fact that she is talking to you about this is a great sign that you have open communication, which is something to be proud of. Your daughter is being very responsible, which is great.

Lots of studies have been published in the medical literature that having birth control available decreases unplanned pregnancy without increasing rates of sexual activity. That's not to say your daughter isn't going to have sex, only that if she does, she would have done it with or without the birth control. With birth control is preferred :)

As a teenager myself, I know how they act. Most teenagers are gonna do something anyway no matter what their parents say. So if my daughter came to me and I asked me, I would do it. I would hope she would use her best judgement and decide not to have sex but in my opinion, most teens are gonna do what they want.

In my own personal life with my own daughter, I would take her to get them.
Because I know I have already had open and honest conversations with her on the subject. I do not want her getting pregnant at such an early age when she has so many life choices and adventures ahead of her. Yet, I would also tell her this is not a pat on the back and telling her go for it. If its going to happen I want her protected by a condom also to fight against STD's. Its the
responsibility of both to protect themselves.

I was once in this exact position myself, and I wasn't even considering sex yet. Family planning isn't the only benefit to birth control pills; the can also:
-reduce PMS and mood swings
-reduce cramps
-shorten periods
-lighten periods
-regulate periods (if they are unpredictable or irregular)
-clear up acne
For those that suffer from cramps, nausea or other symptoms or long heavy periods, birth control pills are one of the greatest inventions on earth. Image being 16, constantly feeling sick, and not knowing when your next period is going to hit.. you could be anywhere, and considering the potential embarrassment while in school, its nothing short of a miserable experience. This is exactly what I asked my own mother to consider, but I of course was greeted with "deal with it, it's nature".. this lead my to go get it on my own, behind her back, and the doctor agreed that is not something anyone needs to suffer through consider medication is so easily available. My mother of course didn't believe that I wanted it for other symptoms - she thought it was like my open invitation to sleep around. It wasn't.
If it had have been the case where I was wanting to have sex, I likely would have found another way to get the birth control, even if it were turned down by my mother. In many places it is legal to get pills at 16 without a parent, sometimes even anonymously. Where I live, it certainly is legal; it's also legal to get plan B anonymously without a parent at age 16. Depending on laws there, she may not have even needed to ask you to get them, but may have done it to show her trust and responsibility.
Some teens, if they are planning on having sex, will go ahead and do it even if they are unable to obtain birth control - not all of them, of course, but some. If this were the case - would you want to have stopped your daughter from protecting herself, when she put forth an effort to be safe? Of course it would be unwise to continue without it, but in reality, some do.
I think it is a very mature and responsible thing to ask your parent for birth control. However, I think few teens who are committed enough to doing the deed to actually go so far as to expose their plan to their parents are going to drop the idea just because the parent has said no. It's a big thing to ask your parent, so they've obviously put a lot of thought into what they're going to do, and have pretty much decided on having sex. Once they're committed to that idea, lack of the pill likely isn't going to stop them.. HOWEVER, they are obviously smart, mature, and responsible enough to realize birth control is important enough to ask a parent, that they will find another method (or the same method without a parent).

Birth control pills have come a long way are have very few risks these days. They actually lower the risk of some cancers, they are low dose, and do not lower your fertility rate when you do decide to have children. Their dose is often so low, the risk of weight gain and other things that concern many people are almost non-existent. Birth control pills have been around so long that they have been tested to the extreme, and the risks are low.

I'm personally all for birth control, having been through the situation myself, but if you haven't already it would be a great idea to have a chat with your doctor. Ask her whether she plans to use it to have sex or for it's other benefits. If she says it's for the other benefits and your convinced she's honest, I'd go ahead and give it to her - there is not much risk to the pill, and a great number of benefits, and it will be much easier when the time does come around. If she is honest she is using them for sex - well, that would be up to you. I would personally give them to her. She's likely to do it anyways, so giving them to her would simply make her life easier. If not, she is forced to find another method. If you do choose to give them to her, I would remind her that birth control pills do NOT protect from STDs, and it is important to use a condom as well. It's certainly much safer to use both pills and condoms than one or the other, and I'd be glad your daughter is protecting herself rather than going ahead and doing it without protection or without telling you.

Good luck with your decision!

Congratulations on having such an open relationship with your daughter. I would make it clear that I thought having intercourse at 16 is a bad idea, and let her know why, but make sure she has all the facts. After having a talk with her about sex, why she felt she was ready, and whether or not she felt that she was being pressured, I'd make an appointment for her with a gynecologist. If she's thinking about birth control, she needs a full gyn exam, and she needs a relationship with a doctor she can trust.

I would get for her and then talk to her about waiting till she is married. But keep in mind that kids will listen and not always do what you ask. You will not be with your child every moment of the day. They still make there own decisions and you want to make sure they are at least safe. The fact that your child came to you means that you must have an open relationship so I think they will listen to what you have to say. But birth control will be way cheaper then having to raise a baby for your teen.

I am no way ok with teens having sex but teens will be teens and reality is that this is happening all around us. We might as well step up as parents and keep them safe so they are not just another statistic.

I would actually do both--I'd help her to get birth control AND I'd ask her to consider waiting. My daughter is 22 and she is a virgin. No, I'm not being a naive parent... you'd have to know my daughter and our relationship to understand why I can be so certain of that. She told me when she had her first kiss, I've met all her boyfriends (she doesn't currently have one), and she even told me when a guy felt her up and touched her boob. I'm confident that as much as we talk about these things, she would have told me.

Recently, I've discussed birth control with her, telling her that at her age, it's probably a good thing for her to consider getting on it now, so she's prepared if/when the decision comes instead of having to scramble to get on the pill. She says she sort of prefers the fact she could use not being on the pill as an excuse, but I've discussed with her the possible urges of hormones that even some grown adults with lots of experience behind them can cause them to make poor decision in the heat of the moment.

I'm thankful she waited. Part of the reason I think she has waited so long is because I was a single teenaged mother. My daughter was born when I was three months short of 17.

I'd be glad to talk to you or anyone else about what it's like to be a teen mom. I'm one of the very, very lucky ones who made it through and raised a great kid and kept some sanity about me, finished school while living on my own, and made the sacrifices necessary to raise a child while still a child. Yet even for me, it wasn't easy at all.

Think of it this way - I truly believe that when a teenager has decided to have sex, truly decided about it enough to be asking about birth control, little will top them from doing it if and when they get in the position to do it. It's so much better to be open with them, talk about consequences, let them know you'd rather they wait, but also be practical and give them quality and safe birth control that you can count on to prevent pregnancy. It's also a good time to discuss how birth control ONLY prevents pregnancy and there are some things in this world you can get from having sex that are worse than getting pregnant unexpectedly while a teen and single. Condoms, the pill, abstinence - they are all important options to discuss.

So in summary: Ask her to wait. Tell her WHY you want her to wait, give her advice, logical reasons, and emotional pleas for waiting (without any guilt), and then tell her that because she asked you about it, you're honoring her request and appreciating that she's grown up enough to consider this means of protecting herself, so you are hoping she'll be grown up enough to make the right choice for herself when the time comes to choose. In the meantime, there's nothing wrong with being prepared (taking the pill) until she finally does make the choice.

You take her to get it. This can be a planned parenthood or at your family doctor. Planned parenthood can give her information on sex, stds, and other questions that might arise that she might not want to discuss with you or the family doc she has been seeing all her life. At least she was responsible enough to ask you to take her to get birth control. It shows maturity and thought about her actions.
eta- I can't spell or speak today ;)