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7th Grade: Readin' and Writin' and Birth Control Pills
So you are innocently rummaging through your 13 year old daughter Susie's room and - to your surprise and horror - you find a packet of birth control pills, prescribed by a doctor at her school. Tearfully, Susie explains that she had not wanted to disappoint you and had sought the school clinic's help when she decided to become sexually active with dreamy Biff, her 14-year-old boyfriend.
You are, understandably, mortified and then incensed at the school: How dare they prescribe this strong medicine and support Susie's becoming sexually active without so much as a by-your-leave to you, the parent?
* * * *
By a vote of 7-2, the school committee of Portland, Maine recently decided to offer oral contraceptives (OCPs or "the pill") to students in their middle school health clinic. There had been 17 pregnancies in their three middle schools over the past 4 years (which does not include those that were not reported, or terminated, or ended in miscarriage). The director of Maine's Health and Human Services put it this way: "Clearly they are too young to be engaged in sexual activity, but the reality is that they are sexually active. It is our responsibility to offer a full range of primary care services to students. Fortunately it's a small number."
Students must first have their parents sign a consent for medical treatment at the clinic (in the ensuing uproar, this is often missed: parents must consent for their child to receive care at the clinic, but they cannot dictate the nature of that care). The treatment is confidential and the students can decide what, if anything, to tell their parents. Birth control prescriptions will be given after the student has undergone a physical examination and counseling by a physician or nurse practitioner.
And so the controversy has begun: is this a good idea or a bad one? Let's lay out the positions.
* * * *
As a start, let's see if we can all find common ground by agreeing that:
- Children this young should not be having sex. Period.
- Kids should be discussing their sexual behavior with their parents, who should play a role in their decision-making.
- Oral contraceptives are very strong hormones. Who knows what effect they might have on such a young child in the short run and in the long run? It would be good to avoid their use in young children whenever possible.
* * * *
Why this is a bad idea:
- It is not the place of a school to provide such medical care to kids in the first place, especially when it does not include the minor child's parents. It's another example of the government usurping rightful parental authority.
- By prescribing OCPs, the school is endorsing and even encouraging sexual activity at an early age.
- By not advising the parents, an opportunity to promote communication between parent and child is circumvented.
Why this is a good idea:
- The kids who ask for OCPs have already decided to have sex. Nothing is likely to dissuade them. The fact she is looking to prevent pregnancy is a positive health decision and should be supported.
- If it is mandated that parents be included in the loop, then those kids who (for whatever reason) do not want their parents to know, will not receive contraception. Avoidable teen pregnancies will occur.
- The school is where the kids are. If the school does not offer easily accessible health care, most kids will not get any at all.
* * * *
Where I stand:
I have to say, I'm quite torn about this issue. It can't be healthy for young children's bodies to be exposed to these powerful hormones. And I'm heartsick at the loss of childhood we are witnessing, of which this another graphic example. Kids are prematurely exposed to content and experiences that are clearly inappropriate, they are having sex at earlier and earlier ages, etc.
But wishing it were otherwise won't change the following: A survey by the Massachusetts Department of Education showed 1 in 3 children (and they are children) under the age of 15 are sexually active. And, if I had to guess, I'd say very few of their parents have a clue as to that fact.
Yes, we need more strategies to promote abstinence and delaying initiation of sexual activity. Yes, we need to be sure kids know how to make good choices and not fall victim to unhealthy peer pressures. Yes, children need to understand how to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases should they become sexually active.
But it's also true - sad to say - that many young kids will no more listen to Dr. P than they will to you, their parents. And if your Susie has decided to have sex with Biff, and if she wants to be responsible and avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, and if she doesn't want you to know, then, yes, a school-based clinic should provide her with the means to do so.
There are no good or perfect options here: we're talking the least bad. It ain't pretty but sometimes it may take a village to help Susie avoid getting pregnant - which, in my book, is pretty much the worst case scenario of all.
When your child's school asks for your opinion on this matter, how will you vote?
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: birth control, middle school, Portland Maine, sex education, sexual health, pediatrics
51 Comments:
I would vote in favor of schools making OCPs available because there are a lot of young people who do not discuss their sexual behavior with their parents. OCPs aren't a magic bullet, but a student choosing to seek them out is at least trying to prevent pregnancy even if they are not practicing abstinence.
Last year I found myself in the difficult position of a teen acquaintance confiding in me that she thought she might be pregnant and wanted to practice telling an adult before telling her mother. I helped her break the news to her mother, who acted surprised that her daughter might be engaging in sexual activity.
I vote no. It's not the school's job to provide my child's health care or prescribe dangerous medications or to make moral judgments with which I disagree. Let them stick to teaching.
I always wonder about the accuracy of the surveys used to determine how prevalent teen sex is. For example, the study mentioned about said 1 in 3 is sexually active before the age of 15. Sounds like a lot. But I remember being a teenager. If some official asked about your sexual activity, most would say yes, either to feel cool or to simply mess with the adults. Do these studies made this problem seem worse than it really is?
You are right, it is a terrible choice to have to make. I agree that these children are too young to be having sex, but wishing they wouldn't won't make the problem go away. It is a terrible choice to have to make but, in spite of several concerns, I come down on the side of offering education and health protection.
"It is not the place of a school to provide such medical care to kids in the first place, especially when it does not include the minor child's parents. It's another example of the government usurping rightful parental authority."
Concerns about parental control hit home for me. I remember my shock at finding out that the age of medical consent in my state is 15. My daughter was allowed to sign for surgical procedures and I had no say-so when she was 15 (had her appendix and her gallbladder out). Fifteen is a lot different than 11 – or is it? When you are the mom (or dad) it doesn't seem like it is. If parents are signing permission for their child to receive clinic care, then they have to accept that the clinic health providers are acting in their role. Pregnancy at 11 or 15 is not only a huge problem for the pregnant child but also for the baby that comes into the world without a grownup parent. I think if it means preventing that kind of tragedy, then the clinic is providing a valuable service. I only hope that the clinic is providing counseling to the students who are receiving any type of treatment, whether it is birth control or not.
"By prescribing OCPs, the school is endorsing and even encouraging sexual activity at an early age."
I have to take exception to anyone who claims that providing birth control and counseling gives kids permission or an incentive to have sex. Some young kids are already having sex. The 7315 births to females ages 10-14 in 2002 were 7315 births too many.
National Vital Statistics Report: Births to 10–14 Year Old Mothers 1990–2002: Trends and Health Outcomes
Source: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Description: This article presents the national and statewide birthrates for females ages 10–14. The data is categorized by age and race/ethnicity.
Key Statistics:
Over 97% of births to the youngest teenage mothers are to females ages 13–14.
In 2002, of the 7,315 births to females ages 10–14, 208 were to females ages 10–12 and 7,107 were to females ages 13–14.
Birth rates to the youngest teenagers varied by State and territory, ranging in 2000–2002 from 0.2 per 1,000 (Maine) to 2.0 (Mississippi and the District of Columbia). The highest rates are in the South and Southwest.
To View this Resource: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr53/nvsr53_07.pdf
*****
As for the idea of reinforcing abstinence - the "abstinence-only" programs are not able to show effectiveness in delaying or preventing sexual activity, pregnancy or STDs. "There are no published studies in the professional literature that show that abstinence-only programs will result in young people delaying sexual intercourse." (SIECUS) On the other hand, there are reports that show some of these programs distort information, ignore scientific
The Waxman Report
Source: Prepared for Rep. Henry A. Waxman, The Content of Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Education Programs (Washington, DC: United States House of Representatives, Committee on Government Reform, Minority Staff, Special Investigations Division, 2004).
Description: This Congressional report prepared for Representative Henry Waxman (D-California) found that widely used federally funded abstinence-only curricula distort information, misrepresent the facts, and promote gender stereotypes.
Key Findings:
More than 80 percent of the abstinence-only curricula reviewed contain false, misleading, or distorted information about reproductive health.
The curricula reviewed misrepresent the effectiveness of contraceptives in preventing STDs and unintended pregnancy.
The curricula reviewed contain false information about the risks of abortion, blur religion and science, promote gender stereotypes, and contain basic scientific errors.
To View this Resource: http://oversight.house.gov/investigations.asp
*****
The GAO Report
Source: Abstinence Education: Efforts to Assess the Accuracy and Effectiveness of Federally Funded Programs Report GAO-07-87 (Washington, D.C.: Government Accountability Office, 2006).
Description: In 2006, the Federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that government-approved evaluations of abstinence-only programs fail to follow scientific guidelines.
Key Findings:
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is not providing adequate oversight of federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
In particular, HHS is not reviewing material for scientific/medical accuracy nor is it requiring grantees to do so.
To View this Resource: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0787.pdf
*****
Emerging Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy
Source: Doug Kirby, Emerging Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy (Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2001).
Description: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy commissioned a review of programs considered effective at reducing teen pregnancy and/or STD rates among young people. Kirby gathered information on over 250 studies to identify the elements that made the programs effective.
Key Findings:
Research on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs remains inconclusive.
To View this Resource: http://www.teenpregnancy.org/resources/data/pdf/emeranswsum.pdf
*****
The Mathematica Report
Source: The Evaluation of Abstinence Education Programs Funded Under Title V Section 510: Interim Report (Washington, D.C.: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., 2005).
Description: Mathematica has been hired by the federal government to conduct an evaluation of programs funded under the Title V Welfare Reform funding stream. Of the more than 700 federally funded abstinence-only programs, the interim evaluation looked at 11 programs, only four of which were evaluated for attitudinal impact. The other six programs evaluated are community-wide interventions and were reviewed for implementation and process analysis only. None was evaluated for behavioral impact.
Key Findings:
The interim report measured only the ability of the evaluated programs to "strengthen knowledge and attitudes supportive of abstinence" and whether they "induce[d] more youth to embrace abstinence from sexual activity as a personal goal."
The interim evaluation found that while there was some support for the idea of abstinence, the programs had little impact on peer pressure and no impact on views of marriage, expectation to abstain, self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-control, refusal skills, or communication with parents.
To View this Resource: http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/PDFs/evalabstinence.pdf
*****
Five Years of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Education: Assessing the Impact
Source: D. Hauser, Five Years of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Education: Assessing the Impact (Washington D.C.: Advocates for Youth, 2004).
Description: As of 2004, 11 states had made the results of evaluation of their state-wide abstinence-only-until-marriage programs available for review. This review summarizes the results from state-wide evaluations in Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
Key Findings:
No evaluation demonstrated any impact on reducing teens’ sexual behavior at follow-up (three to 17 months after the program ended).
To View this Resource: http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/stateevaluations/index.htm
*****
"By not advising the parents, an opportunity to promote communication between parent and child is circumvented."
I do wish that the school or the public health department (both woefully under-funded institutions) would provide education for parents on talking with their kids about healthy, values-driven decision–making. Schools can teach biology but they can't teach values. Parental values are a huge factor when we want to help these kids make decisions. However, parents first have to clarify their own values and then learn to explain them clearly and with love. And threatening, "You’d better not have sex or I'll..." does not count as explaining anything. Schools can help parents by providing information and practical suggestions. I truly believe most parents want the best for their children but many need some help. The schools shouldn't provide the values but rather help the parents define and communicate their own values. This works no matter where you stand on the issue of adolescent sexuality and sexual practices.
I used to teach parents the facts, making sure they knew how to get answers, giving them opportunities to discuss their fears with other parents, helping them to recognize opportunities to engage their kids in dialogue, and giving them chances to practice having those difficult conversations in a safe environment. This stuff is hard - but if we support parents and schools and public health departments, we can work together to help these children make healthier, safer decisions.
Take this to the bank:
1) Your kids are going to have sex before you want them to.
2) They are not going to tell you.
So, when this happens, you should hope they have the motivation and means to practice safe sex, preventing both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Kudos to the schools who provide that.
You are promoting immoral behavior in children. Shame on you.
How does this promote immoral behavior? No one is forcing the parents to give permission for the kids to be seen in the clinic. No one is forcing the pills on the kids. These are already sexually active children who need to be protected from themselves. Ignoring their behavior, trying to wish it away, punishing them, or just telling them "no" isn't going to stop them from being sexually active.
However, if you can help them prevent pregnancy, counsel them on safer sex practices, counsel them on taking care of themselves, on making healthier choices, establish a relationship of trust - maybe just maybe, you can prevent a life (or two - don't forget the babies) from being ruined.
We dont need to promote "immoral" behavior in kids. The media does that for us.
Like others have said, offering the pill is the lesser of two evils.
Young teens are not prepared to be making decisions about having sex, but they do make this choice many many times, long before we parents would like. Thinking back I remember being pressured by friends to have sex in order to be "cool". I did have sex when I was 14, once, with a much older boy, luckly I did not become pregnant, but I do remember how scared I was about becoming pregnant and worried for months about it, long after it is possible as I didn't know how it works, so I thought it could happen for months after the fact !?!
I have a 9 yr old daughter, who I can see the physical changes happening already, as much as it saddens me to realize she isn't a little girl anymore, I have begun talking to her about sex, body changes during puberty and what is happening to her. Also about making choices which are right for her, not her friends. She is going for her well visit next week and I plan on speaking with the doctor before hand (by phone) about having the doctor bring up the discussion of puberty/sex.
While I would not be thrilled to learn my 13 yr old was on the pill, I would be thankful that she had access to information and guidence, which I never had.
Knowledge is power.
All this would be unnecessary if the lines of communication between parent and child allowed for an open and supportive discussion of sexuality.
I believe that once you are old enough to get pregnant, and granted that can be quite young these days, you are old enough to decide what you want to use or not use for contraception.
In the bigger picture, I think children should be allowed to make lots of health care decisions for themselves even at a young age. For example, I chose not to get braces even when my dentist was recommending that and roughly 20+ years later, I'm still glad that my parents let me make that decision.
This discussion seems to be suggesting that all these children are having sex with other children, but in my experience, these little girls are being coerced by much older males and in many of these cases the situation is at least statutory rape. Sometimes far worse. I have no faith in the idea that these school clinics have the trained staff to take care of the full ramifications of this problem and perhaps not even the medical fall out. "The pill" doesn't deal with STDs,and can have serious side effects that can affect the health and well being of the child. One can't be sure they will take the pill as prescribed and so what? The school nurse dispenses them? 11 year olds need help avoiding this early sex, not being encouraged to do it by the school system. Don't tell me all this is consentual sex between peers, I live in DC and I know better.
Dr. Parker stated:
"And I'm heartsick at the loss of childhood we are witnessing, of which this another graphic example. Kids are prematurely exposed to content and experiences that are clearly inappropriate, they are having sex at earlier and earlier ages, etc.
But wishing it were otherwise won't change the following: A survey by the Massachusetts Department of Education showed 1 in 3 children (and they are children) under the age of 15 are sexually active."
Dr. Parker's attitudes are just another example of how mainline American society by-and-large serves as old Victorian and Calvinist Britain's antique shop of moral values, particularly when it comes to attitudes about sex and puberty.
Sexual conservatives essentially believe that Mother Nature made a mistake by setting the average onset of puberty at around age 12.
13-to-17-year-olds are not "children"--they are adolescents. Indigenous societies and most contemporary European societies recognize that distinction, and thus regard adolescence as the first stage of adulthood as opposed to the last stage of childhood.
Mainline American society basically has a war on puberty and adolescence by having more laws for juveniles on its books than any other nation in the world; having the world's highest legal drinking age (21 in most states), and a high age of sexual consent (16 to 18 in all states, whereas as the average legal age of consent in most European countries is 15). Sexual conservatives froth at the mouth over the idea of consensual adult/adolescent sex, even though many of them started having sex themselves not long after the onset of puberty, and such relationships are perfectly the norm among traditional Native American peoples.
Non-Native peoples in America baby their kids too long and don't start teaching them about the responsibilities of adulthood at an early enough age.
I don't like the idea of the public school system acting as a health care provider, (or birth control provider in this case), but since most American parents don't want to accept the reality of adolescent puberty and the sex drive hormones that go along with it, I commend, under the circumstances, those school districts that do provide condoms and prescriptions for contraceptives to their teen students.
anonymous 12:33pm:
We're not talking about 13-17 year olds. we're talking about 10-12 year olds.
Morality aside, I have a real problem with schools dispensing hormones, even if they are approved by the FDA, to kids that age.
Someone here pointed out that parents have to sign a consent form before these kids are treated by the school clinic. My question is this: Is that just a general, routine consent form that every parent signs at the beginning of the year so their kid can get Midol or aspirin for a headache or is it specific to each situation where they would seek clinic treatment?
Is the clinic intended to be a way to deliver health care to kids who wouldn't have access any other way? If so, then is there a way for parents to allow for their kids to get Motrin or aspirin but not birth control pills? Because I think we don't know enough about what the long-term health impact of taking BCP at an age where puberty is beginning to just freely dispense it.
I would have less of a problem with condoms being dispensed, for sure. Now I know some folks will say yeah, well, condoms fail because these kids don't know how to use them properly or won't use them because they're uncomfortable even raising the possibility. My response: That sounds like a teachable moment.
Someone else here mentioned that handing out BCPs would protect against pregnancy and STDs. Pregnancy, yes. STDs, no. Condoms protect against STDs, not BCP. And to me, STDs are at least as large of an issue as pregnancy, if not more. If she doesn't get pregnant but gets HIV or genital warts, what have we accomplished?
Please let the Bible be your guide
I live in the neighboring city and like everywhere else we have both parents working or single parent families. In some cases kids have no one to talk to or parents who just don't get it. I think some parents are forgetting what it was like to be that age and about the peer pressure. The Portland Press Hreald published an article showing the number of pregnancies in that middle school in the last 5 yrs. it surprised me inspite in the that I was already in favor of the birth control issue. Parents need to talk and listen to their kids they're growing up right under your nose!
When will people wise up and realize that our society is on it's way to becoming an ultimate Godless society (without God.)When one leaves God out of his/her decision making process this is the end results, allowing children to make adult decision. Children need to be taught that consequences follows bad choices of promuscuity and lack of self-control. You may be saving them from pregnancy through the pill but cheating them out of responsibility and accountability. It's a sad day when parents allow the schools to make decisions for their children based on the "trend of the day" The bottom line and undeniable truth is we as a nation need to repent and return to God.
I especially liked this comment:
"sometimes it may take a village to help Susie avoid getting pregnant - which, in my book, is pretty much the worst case scenario of all."
What about aids, people??? I have no problem with making condoms readily available. As soon as you sign off for your kid to receive care in the school health clinic, you've just signed off your rights as a parent to know anything about their care, not a good idea IMHO. Why do we just keep lowering the bar??? We're telling our 11 year olds, it's okay to have unprotected sex, as long as you have the pill, and your parents don't have to know anything about when you forgot to take the pill (Fifth graders would forget to brush their teeth if their parents didn't remind them 3 times a day) and got pregnant anyway, you can take the morning after pill and your parents don't have to know anything about that either! How many 11 year olds are getting pregnant these days anyway? Most probably aren't having sex yet, but as soon as they hear about their friend Suzie being on the pill, given to them by the school, you can be sure that there will be more kids standing in line, anxious to get their big grown up pills, they figure, if the school says it's acceptable to have sex at age 11 and will hand out the pill, then it must be okay, right???
UGH!!!! Okay, an argument can be made for both sides of the issue, but when are we giong to start raising the bar instead of constantly lowering it? What are facing in the next century? Abortion clinics in elementary schools? Because lets face it folks, "getting pregnant - which, in my book, is pretty much the worst case scenario of all." Here's a novel idea, why not put a little more God back in our schools, promote a little morality and values and see if that can reverse some of the damage we've done to our youth. Just a thought...
The question here is not whether or not children are having sex, but what kind of impact will the pill have on their still developing bodies? We have already seen what hormones in meat are doing to not only the early development of girls, but take a look at some of the young men. From behind you would never know that they are men. Studies have shown that young men today have lower sperm counts than 20 years ago. As a society, it is irresponsible to be subscribing the pill to young girls. If medications were so 'safe' why did the miracle drug Vioxx get pulled? Why do we have staph infections that are no longer killed by antibiotics? Think people. We have dumped so many drugs into our kids and look at all the physical changes this has caused. Human nature is human nature and like it or not kids will have sex once the hormones start surging. But there are better ways to approach this. Doctors are so quick to prescribe pills, that kids today think everything can be 'cured' just by taking a pill. We need to be educating and teaching responsibility for actions.
I say NO WAY!!!!! I think parents need to start discussing sexual issues with their children at an early age. They need to keep a closer eye on their children, whether it's a boy or girl! If this was the case, there is no way that these young children would be getting pregnant in the first place. Play cards or board games, take them to the park and play tennis, softball, basketball, etc.
Don't allow them to go ANYWHERE if you are not sure EXACTLY where they are OR what they are DOING!!!
You must not have teenagers who, just like you and I were, are great at hiding from their parents EXACTLY what they are doing.
It's their job as teens, and you are fooling yourself if you think your kids are doing otherwise.
I think this is rediculus. Children are children, they don't know what the magnitude of their decisions are. I know, that when I was a child, I spake as a child and I thought as a child. Yes, kids are more mature at younger ages these days, but don't you think that society is causing this premature maturation? My little girl was given to ME, was birthed to Me, and I have the right to know what my daughter is doing at school. Her school should have no right to take over my control as a parent. I am outraged that they presume to think they know the needs of a child better than his parents. Granted there are a few insufficient parents in the world, but that doesn't mean that the rest of us have to suffer.
Let's step back for a minute from everything and think about this.
Genarlow Wilson was just released from prison by the GA Supreme Court after being tried and convicted of statutory rape for having consensual sex with his 15-year old girlfriend when he was 17.
Clearly it is still a crime in this country for 11-14 year olds to be having sex, yes? And before you all blow up at me, just stop and consider that in this country, statutory rape laws still apply and for good reason.
That being the case, how can the school board open the door for statutory rape to be condoned at all? And let's be honest here -- when you're talking about birth control pills you are also talking about intercourse, not oral sex or anything else, because the only thing BCP will protect against is intercourse. They're useless as STD prevention.
So this school district has chosen to prevent teen pregnancies by giving access to kids age 11-14 to BCP rather than pursuing it from a legal standpoint? I'm appalled, truly.
BCPs protect against one thing and one thing only. At least when they're handing out condoms they're also handing out STD protection and can at least mutter to themselves that even oral sex should be given with a condom. But by allowing for the dispensation of BCP, what they are basically saying is that sex between children of any age is okay, they're powerless to prevent it, powerless to educate students on the LEGAL and health ramifications, so they're throwing their hands in the air and surrendering.
That dog ain't huntin' in this house. Sorry.
Also, in response to maggie's post where she describes a situation where both parents are working and there's no one to talk to, and then goes on to talk about the pain of peer pressure...
How about spending those clinic funds on creative programs to provide someone for those kids to talk to, and start turning the tide of peer pressure back? And yes, it does matter, that peer pressure thing. I wasn't in school too terribly long ago and yes, there was peer pressure, but the majority of the pressure was NOT to have sex, not the other way around. By the time I was 17, that was different, but I'd argue that 17 is a helluva lot older than 11.
My mom and dad both worked, too, but that didn't leave me at loose ends. I was expected to be in certain places at certain times of the day, I had activities and other places to be and if I wasn't there, you can bet my mom would've been home in 10 minutes flat looking for me. It's really not that hard.
And yes, I have teenagers -- one who is now an adult, one 18 and one who is a preteen.
I am 26 and went to middle school and high school in the inner city. My younger brother now goes to high school in the farm country. I promise you that whole " 1 out of 3 kids" thing is not true! We all messed with the surveys. Me and my friends were all virgins in high school and we put al sorts of crazy stuff down about multiple partners, etc., just because we were disgusted that the school would dare to ask us. 2 out of 3 students do not answer these surveys truthfully. What makes kids have sex younger and younger? It's getting easier and easier of course! And on top of it, nowadays everyone tells them its normal, and I mean the adults.
Bottom line in reality the kids who are having sex at 13-15 (yes Middle schoolers) Don't have the fairy tale parents you know and love they are in horrible homes looking for love anywhere and its the cold hard truth. Thank God someone is trying to help them protect themselves. Because the toher truth is when they do get pregnant they may not know and or will hide it until its too late. A 14 yr old mother is not an answer. BTW I live in rural ME
Let's focus on something that no one so far has. The RISK associated
with oral contraceptives.Stroke.
Blood Clots. Unexpected pregnancy if you don't take the pill regularly. How many 11-13 year olds
do you know that take medication without being reminded by an ADULT?
Now think about this,if your teen is sleeping around,is she smoking cigarettes? If the answer is yes,the chance of those side effects happening just got a lot higher.Imagine now your pre-teen is ill,you are in an ER with her,
the docter needs to know relevant
medical history and medications,but
you,the PARENT,can't tell him because you DON'T KNOW. I have moral reasons,and ethical reasons as to why a school system,public or private,should not be dispensing
birth control pills to ANY ONE,but
my overwhelming reason is that of
SAFETY and WELL BEING of the female
children involved.
What are odds of stroke from an oral contraceptive versus the odds of getting pregnant from unprotected sex?
Pregnancy is much more likely to be a danger to a teen, on many levels.
Pick your poison. It's the least bad alternative under bad circumstances.
If I to "Pick my poison" it would be for counseling on abstinsence,&
condoms.At least with condoms,there
is protection from pregnancy and STD's. Condom's also don't require that an irresponsible 11-14 year old girl remember to take a pill every day. A perfect world would be
teens waiting until adulthood to have sex.
Willing away the obvious - that children are indeed having sex - will not work. In my opinion, if a child of 12 or so is having sex and the parents are unaware, then there is already a serious breakdown in communication within that family unit. Those kids need protecting. They're not going to listen to a talk about abstaining because they're already sexually active. We need to wise up and realize the best way to protect them is to do so at every level.
We need to talk to them at home - from an early age - about all options. We should, of course, stress our personal views, but also explain that we'll support them in whatever choice they make. It's the only way they'll come to us when and if they need to.
Until that happens in 100% of the families in this country, then schools should absolutely provide contraceptives to these kids - including and most especially condoms to protect not just from pregnancy but STDs.
These are our babies. They're growing up too fast and we seem unable to stop it. The least we can do is give them a chance to continue being kids. We need to keep them from having to choose between pre-teen pregnancy or abortion, or worse, between life and death with diseases like HIV and AIDS.
To seek out contraceptives - at a school or elsewhere - shows a great deal of common sense and maturity for an otherwise hormonally-controlled teen. We should applaud this not condemn it, even if only because it's brought the severity of the situation out into the open.
I think that this isn’t a good idea because if the kids want to have sex, then they should go to their doctors, and talk to them about getting the pill, they shouldn’t get it from their school, especially without their parents knowing. And some kids might even think that it is a better opportunity to have sex, because they think that they will be save if she’s on the pill, and if he is using a condom, and both of those don’t work 100%. I also don’t think that the school should get so involved with the kid’s personal business, if I child is pregnant then yeah, I understand if they go to guidance, but then they call your parents and it goes from there. There is no need to get so involved with girl’s personal actions to hand out free birth control, even if 14 girls did get pregnant at the school, the only thing that the school should have done was provide support not birth control. If the girl wants to tell her parents what is going on or not, that is her choice, and if she wants to go on birth control then she should ask her mom to get it from her doctor. Plus middle school is only 11-14 year olds. If 11 year olds are getting pregnant, and are going on the pill, then their bodies probably aren’t even fully developed yet, so if they take it and still have sex, (most of them probably drink and do drugs too) then their entire reproductive system will get messed up. The school shouldn’t hand out and pill under any circumstances whatsoever.
I would like some type of information because I am a 15 female who just feels the urge to have sex...but I have never done anything with anybody but the encounters were pretty close. I dont know what to do or how to bring it about to my mom. Its just hard people dont look at it from our point of view they only see fast kids doing things they shouldnt. I have these cravings I often cry about because I want to know why do I feel this way. I have my beliefs of waiting til I get married or really meet someone i like. I dont know what to say.
I would like some type of information because I am a 15 female who just feels the urge to have sex...but I have never done anything with anybody but the encounters were pretty close. I dont know what to do or how to bring it about to my mom. Its just hard people dont look at it from our point of view they only see fast kids doing things they shouldnt. I have these cravings I often cry about because I want to know why do I feel this way. I have my beliefs of waiting til I get married or really meet someone i like. I dont know what to say. I do sexual things by myself. I dont even know if thats good. I really need all the advice I can get.
I would have to say that this is a hard decision from any standpoint, Parent or teen. I graduated Highschool almost 2 years ago so I remember very clearly what it was like. And It's sad to look back on those days and count how many of my friends were parents by the time they graduated just because they didn't feel comfortable talking to their parents and didn't have the access to BC. My school didn't offer much but STD classes every year. Truthfully our school had to start a Parenting class for all of it's pregnant students. I know my mom and dad talked to me about not having sex since I was like 10 years old. They were (and still are) great parents. But I was just as stubborn and rebellious as any other teenager and I chose to do it anyway (and pretty much it was just because I knew they didn't want me to). So when I had a pregnancy scare and my parents finally had to find out that I was having sex cause there was no other choice it just made things worse. They went completely ballistic, but not totally because I was having sex( which they had suspected for a long time and questioned me about and I always lied and said "NO!"), But because I never took the time to protect myself. I know the first time my mom ever considered putting me on BC my dad was completely against it, saying it was just like giving me permission to have sex, but after the scare, he was actually all for having me on it. Like it was stated before, You have to pick your Poison.
In middle school - I seriously think the parents should know what the heck is going on with their children. Birth Control isn't something that kids should be taken and even if - I really think the parent should be the ones who go with their daughter's dr and ask for it. I knew a few girls who needed OCPs for their periods but that didn't allow them to have sex!
Birth Control without parents should be given in during High School years - I knew more girls that got pregnant around that time.
However, this is my opinion.
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ummmm, I don't know about you guys, but when I was in middle/highschool, one of the biggest reasons I didn't have sex was bc of the fear of getting prego. Condoms are still taking a huge risk, especially when you're that age. With the pill, you're pretty much giving the kids a license to kill (or whatever else). I'd vote no bc I think having the pill be so accessible is ridiculous. It's basically saying,"We've given up on you kids, and we don't expect much out of you." It would also give kids who wouldn't normally be having sex more incentive to take part(ie: taking away that "fear factor" of possibly getting pregnant). And who's to say these kids are responsible enough to take the pill when they're supposed to? Most of middle & highschool-aged kids can't even remember to do their homework on time let alone take a contraceptive! Being sexually active doesn't make a kid responsible--they're having sex at that young of an age bc they're NOT responsible or "mature". This isn't a solution to the problem. It's just lowering our society's standards even more and adding to it. This kind of mentality IS the problem with our society if you ask me!
I think another comment said it all...This is the lesser of two evils..At least the individual is using their brain and seeking help rather than becoming pregnant...There are alot that wouldn't do that...I myself became sexually active at the early age of 14 due to peer pressure...Kuddos to them for asking for help, even tough it may not be the parents..Keep in mind that BC is not 100%...I was on birth control when becoming pregnant with my third and final son at the age of 30...
I absolutely think kids will have sex and not tell their parents. And they should have access to birth control. But "the pill" is quite possibly, the worst choice. It provides NO protection against STDs! Let's see some more condom advocacy. It's cheap, hormone-free, and a whole lot safer.
As a dedicated Christian, a high school teacher, confidante to my students, and mother of an eleven year old, (oh - and a former teenager who had sex at 15) I have had the opportunity to see this issue from a lot of sides.
1. Kids need to understand that parents do not want them to wait to have sex so they can keep them from having fun. By the time a kid is eleven most parents have spent a fortune for their kids to have fun - from birthday parties to Disney to toting them around to all sorts of activities. Kids need to be taught that its not about keeping them from having fun. It is about teaching them that sex has major EMOTIONAL consequences that run very deep - whether we recognize it or not. God's plan was designed to be sure that sex was reserved for those who were deeply committed to each other, thereby preventing the emotional damage created when a relationship ends. Of course marriage is not a guarantee that rejection won't happen but its the best option we've got. Is it a coincidence that those who engage in premarital sex have a higher rate of divorce or less chance of emotionally intimate marriages? God's laws exist as safety rails to keep us from going over the edge - not to prevent us from the excitement of flying through the air but to prevent the pain of hitting bottom!
2. It is illegal!! Plain and simple! To provide birth control to kids who are below the age of consent (16 in most states) is illegal and schools are setting themselves up for serious legal consequences. Of course it is also unethical to not be upfront with parents about what services the clinic will provide. To go on a field trip across the street requires permission forms (even in high school) - no form, no trip! Hmm! How on earth can anyone justify no permission for something like birth control - which has a much greater risk to the kid than a field trip. Teachers even get in trouble for showing a video with a cuss word in it without parent's permission! Hello!! Something is wrong with this picture. If we are going to allow schools to have knowledge, involvement, and any degree of control over kid's sexual activities then we should give schools complete rights to make ALL decisions for parents! Kids won't talk to their parents about drinking which could leave to drinking and driving? Perhaps we should provide an area where kids can come to school and drink safely! Kids can't even buy cigarettes until they are seventeen and that doesn't require a prescription . . . Sure, let them choose to take medicine they don't understand to participate in an activity that they don't understand! True story - an entire class of freshman was convinced that a girl could get pregnant by swallowing during oral sex! Their logic was that since the sperm goes down and their "girl parts" are "down there" then . . . They were in high school and this was after sex ed! I bet 6th graders are real clear on how everything works! I talk to my daughter openly and have promised to always answer her questions with the truth. I still can guarantee she has no understanding of "how things work". Yep! We need to stand by and let her make such serious decisions!
3. For those who say "Well, they're gonna do it anyway! At least they are using the good judgement in using birth control!": I guarantee that this makes it more likely for them to decide to have sex. Fear of getting pregnant is a huge deterrent to a lot of kids! Additionally, it takes away the defense a girl who knows she doesn't want to have sex would have in response to pressure from a guy. That is true of condoms also! If girls can't insist on no sex without a condom because it doesn't feel as good to him, do we really expect they can resist his ability to argue that they can get on the pill? "You're mom won't even have to know!" - "If you really love me!" By offering the birth control we are taking away valuable protection the girl has to refuse sex.
4. We need to stop and think about the science of these medicines! Do most people, much less children, even understand what hormones are? After having a miscarriage at 26 I went to see a reproductive endocrinologist. Very quickly I was certain that, as an expert on hormones, and most specifically reproductive hormones, he would never allow his own daughter to take birth control pills! His first discussion with me was about how it only took very small amounts of hormone to have a huge effect and how balanced all of them have to be to work correctly. His statement was that for a considerable time after a girl's first period the body is working to fine tune the balance of hormones. When birth control pills are thrown into the mix it is like throwing a wrench into the works and, in more cases than we'd like to think, the system never recovers correctly. He was telling me this to explain the reason more women than ever have difficulty either getting pregnant or staying pregnant - including me. Considering he was referring to me, and I didn't take the pill until college, shouldn't that make it insane (if not criminal) to allow birth control pills to girls who have barely had their hormones up and running. I dare say that if someone suggested that anyone be allowed to provide a non-pill service that would risk the ability of a girl to have children later in life, virtually everyone would be outrageously against it. We just can't see the pill doing its damage so we assume its all right. Of course, if the school is giving it out it must be safe, right?
5. Are you aware that if a woman can't have children the first test done is a hysterosalpingogram? This test uses a dye to determine if the fallopian tubes are open to allow an ovum to pass through and implant in the uterus. No getting through, no baby! Why would the fallopian tubes be closed? The most often reason is that the tubes are scarred due to an untreated STD such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. These STD's are easily cured with antibiotics but talking about "icky" things like discharge, or even having the ability to recognize what type of discharge is abnormal, is uncommon with older teens, much less, middle schoolers. So, girls are too embarrassed or uneducated to get a simple treatment . . . Infection creates scarring . . .
Fifteen years later Sally is majorly depressed because she can't have a child! Why? Because she had no ability, and no expectation by society, to recognize that sex has consequences way beyond getting pregnant!
Perhaps we should focus on creating an environment that promotes taking responsibility for choices. If it became common that girls saw those that get pregnant be responsible, carry the baby, and then give the baby up for adoption, they might just make different choices! Maybe requiring the guy to face some consequences would help to lessen the double standard. I, for one, am sick of society being too lazy to PREVENT THE CAUSE and, instead, rescuing kids from consequences. Is that what we want when we say schools should teach our kids? It doesn't seem like being rescued from problems would prepare them to become responsible adults. For that matter, even giving the impression that we will rescue them from the consequences of their actions, whether they use it or not, seems just as bad!
By the way, I did have sex at 15 because I had never been told WHY having premarital sex was such a no-no! "God says no!" "You'll get pregnant!" I did not know why the rule was necessary until my older sister, after finding out I was having sex, told me that having premarital sex is "forbidden" because, if you do (particularly as a teenager), you will get hurt! I have found this to be true with every sexually active student I have taught. This isn't true just of the girls either. Boys often feel more hurt than girls but they have to be tough and act like it doesn't matter. Let's tell kids WHY - not NO! Let's enforce/encourage consequences like carrying the baby and then making a selfless choice to act in the baby's best interest by giving him/her a chance at a better life through adoption. But by all means, let's NOT let our kids think we've given up on our responsibility to teach them to make the choices that are best for them. We know (and they know too) that it is damaging for middle schoolers, and even teenagers, to have sex, so what kind of message does it send to them if we stand by and give them tacit permission to hurt themselves? Could they be getting the message that we don't care enough to do whatever it takes to help them make the right choice and, instead, we'll take the easy road and give up? Maybe the increase in sexual activity is a cry for us to prove that we care - to show they are worth the effort to prevent the bad choice - not the result!
i got pregnant on purpose. i already had a kid and i'm not gonna stop anytime soon. i'm gonna keep having babies until i die. i'm 17 yrs old and i'm eight months along and i'm loving it.
There is NOTHING wrong with being 17 and pregnant. I totally condone teen pregnancy 110%. Being pregant in high school is no big deal. It's the best thing that's happening to them. We need more babies in the world.
I have to admit I have not read all the comments to this point, so forgive me if this is a repetition of someone else's point.
Has anyone considered the unfair burden providing oral contraceptives in this way places on GIRLS? It takes two to tango, so why not give them CONDOMS- both male and female condoms! And help them talk to their parents. That will be fair, safer, and more productive.
Oral contraceptives have serious side effects in adult women (inclduing stroke!) and possibly more in young girls who aren't done developing and aren't responsible enough to take them correctly (especially while HIDING it from their parents). In addition, do you think that middle school girl will have the knowledge and judgement to know when she really has to disclose her secret medication? Hidden medical histories can spell disaster.
I think it is a sin to drug our girls for fear of teen pregnancy. I'd prefer my daughter pregnant to sick or stuck with life long complications or dead.
Sexism doesn't wear a name tag. Sometimes we do awful things just because we don't think about it.
When we fear what our daughter's bodies naturally do, we have a harder time making good decisions with and for them.
1- Pregnancy is not the end of the world. Lots of good people are here because of teen pregnancy.
2- STD's aren't prevented one bit by oral contraceptives. Do we even know if oral contraceptives will decrease condom use? Teens notoriously think nothing bad can happen to them, and there is a lot of misinformation out there. It is more likely in my mind for a teen to fear pregnancy than AIDS or other STD's. Any boy can get you pregnany. Only infected boys can get you sick, and who thinks their bf if infected!
3- A female's sexuality shouldn't preclude her from adequate care. Providing a young minor strong medications without the knowledge of her parent/guardian or family doctor is just down right dangerous. So is giving her a big secret to keep that affects her health.
4- Giving kids the skills to talk to their parents, and parents the skills to talk to their kids isn't impossible. After an initial freak out on both sides, families can nearly always work these things out.
I completely agree with the schools. Most children are not going to discuss sex with their parents and even if they do, they're not going to listen. They are going to have sex whether we want them to or not, so why not give them the means of being protected. Giving them birth control is not promoting immoral behavior, they are going to do it anyways. Their mind is already made up, so the least that we could do is try to protect them from STDs and pregnancy.
Respect our girls don't drug them.
Girls these days have no self respect these days and it saddens me. Girls these days makes me sick.Alot of them are getting pregnant on purpose. Getting pregnant on purpose is morally WRONG. WE NEED BIRTH CONTROL IN SCHOOLS!!!
"Let's enforce/encourage consequences like carrying the baby and then making a selfless choice to act in the baby's best interest by giving him/her a chance at a better life through adoption"
That makes no sense at all, my friend. The hottest accessory these days is a baby bump. You would be surprised at how many teen girls want to be teens moms. One girl told me (13 years old) told me that she REALLY wants a baby because Jamie Lynn Spears had a baby. Another girl (14 years old) told me that she wants a baby in hopes of bringing back her ex-boyfriend (who she still loves). A 17-year-old girl told me how much she LOVES being pregnant (this was her third child) and she told me that at her school being pregnant makes you popular.
"Fear of getting pregnant is a huge deterrent to a lot of kids!"
If that were really true, we wouldn't have teen girls getting pregnant as many as THREE times.
Apparently, you didn't learn a thing from the pregnancy pact formed by 17 girls. If you don't believe me, there are websites devoted to teens who are trying to get pregnant.
Let's focus on stopping teen pregnancy in its tracks. It would really help if we stopped glamorizing teen pregnancy. I'm for birth control in schools.
-scorpio.
I can't believe the extremes to which ignorance and fear can drive the human mind.
1- MOST girls do not want to get pregnant. BUT suppose they did- why would you think they would TAKE birth control???
2- Putting young girls on hormones without the oversight of a responsible adult in their lives who knows and loves them- THAT is morally wrong!
3- Expecting a young girl to manage her own health care before she is ready to be responsible for more than homework- THAT is morally wrong!
4- Placing the burden to prevent teen pregnancy on girls alone or almost entirely, at a cost to their health, parental relationships- THAT is morally wrong!
A condom can't hurt a boy or girl. Birth control pills, especially as a secret from parents, is very dangerous for our girls. We shouldn't HARM girls because we are afraid of what their bodies can do.
If you are so afraid a girl will get pregnant- NURTURE her relationships with her parents or parent figure. Then she won't feel the need to produce someone to love her unconditionally or to connect herself permanently to a boy or young man.
Kids and parents can and do talk about sex. It is uncomfortable for a lot of people at first, but that doesn't justify hurting girls to avoid it.
If you think that girls do not have self-respect- that can only be OUR fault. We aren't going to inspire self-respect by selling them short. A lot of people are sending a terrible message to girls by condoning this abuse as a public service.
What I don't understand is that why we seem to embrace teen pregnancy with open arms but are horrified at the thought of offering birth control in schools.
Effectively preventing teen pregnancies would save the billions of dollars society pays to support a teen mother, her children and even her grandchildren, often for a lifetime. It also would break the cycle related to psychopathologies in our culture, including drug and alcohol abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, drug-induced birth defects, dropping out of school, crime, domestic violence and poverty. We need to stop glamorizing teen pregnancy.
This is NOT bigotry nor ignorance, it is the TRUTH. Honestly, do you think ANY good comes out of teens getting pregnant?!!
To some people, the cure (birth control in schools) is worse than the disease (teen pregancy)...
"1- MOST girls do not want to get pregnant."
According to a web survey of 10,000girls, 1 out of 5 girls want to be teen moms.
"BUT suppose they did- why would you think they would TAKE birth control???"
It is the message we've been sending them. Actions speak louder than words. By banning birth control in schools in hopes that they will stop having sex (which is not selling them short by your standards) and enforcing/encouraging consequences such as carrying the baby, you might as well shout "CHILDREN HAVING CHILDREN IS REALLY COOL AND IT'S EVEN COOLER TO ACT LIKE THE WILD TEENS FROM THE MAURY POVICH SHOW!"
Like it or not, teen pregnancy rates are on the rise for the first time in 15 years. If I were you, I would not ignore this statistic especially if you have pre-teen/teen girls.
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