Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

[PrincessFiona]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

Heidi,

Handing out b/c to 11 year olds is not protecting their rights. It is taking the easy way out of a hard situation and allowing what very often can amount to abuse of those children.

Why should parents have rights above their childrens?

Hmmm...because we are responsible for our children in all possible ways....financial, emotional, legal and otherwise. I'm sorry that there are some bad eggs out there, but those parents need to have social services alerted.

Quite frankly, if my kid's rights supercede mine, then they need to go out, get jobs and pay rent...even if they are only 11 and 12...

kris

[mommax3]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

Parents should have rights, but it is my opinion that a child's rights trumps a parents rights.

Except when the parent wants an abortion, right?

(sorry, I know we don't want to have *that* debate.....that sentence just jumped out at me and I couldn't resist.)

Back to your regularly scheduled 11 year olds on birth control debate.....

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

I keep thinking...eleven year old....ELEVEN. I just can't get on board with that. Even 13 is more palatable than 11. Aside from the sex and pregnancy aspect, how about practicality? Are they really going to take this as prescribed? Understand that the pill only prevents pregnancy and not STDs? To that end, I have no problem with that being taught in sex ed classes to the same age group.


I have worked with school based health centers (SBHC) in the past. I would say that physician involvement is minimal and meets basic requirements. They don't have much money and can't pay one. A common arguement against SBHCs is exactly this -- that they would provide birth control to kids. They can offer many other benefits and I think it is too bad this SBHC has decided to provide birth control for what has to be a really small segment of their population instead of referring them out. And IMO that referral should include a screening for abuse or neglect.

[PrincessFiona]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

EXACTLY, Tara...which is why I keep saying that handing them birth control is not protecting them....

Sally...I don't think a parent should be able to force their child to have an abortion, btw....

[Stella]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

I think she meant having an abortion is taking away the rights of the fetus/child.

[PrincessFiona]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

I think she meant having an abortion is taking away the rights of the fetus/child.

DUH....I read that wrong. Hey...what a good point, Sally.

kris

[mommax3]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

You know, I responded earlier that I thought this was a good idea. Not exactly off the top of my head, but I didn't think of most of the things that those who disagree have posted....maybe because I don't have daughters. You all have made lots of good points. I certainly didn't think that packs of pills would be in a jar on a nurse's desk, with a sign reading "take one". I was assuming that this would be under a doc's supervision, and I guess I was thinking about the alternatives.....an 11 year old pregnant kid. DH has delivered plenty of babies whose "mothers" screamed for their own moms in between pushes. That is where my mind went when I read the initial post. If these girls are having sex anyway, I think we should give them the means to protect themselves, whether we give them the stuff at school or give them a ride to Planned Parenthood to get it there. I don't think it is a perfect answer.....there is NOTHING good about young girls having sex. But they are doing it. And most teenagers end up keeping their babies if they continue their pregnancies, and the cycle continues......
I don't remember the specifics of the article that was linked, but although we are all freaking about 11 year olds, middle schools serve 11 through 15 year olds....the majority of the students are older than 11.

As much as I am against abortion, I am FOR birth control.

Sally

[Vanquisher]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

You know, I responded earlier that I thought this was a good idea. Not exactly off the top of my head, but I didn't think of most of the things that those who disagree have posted....maybe because I don't have daughters. You all have made lots of good points. I certainly didn't think that packs of pills would be in a jar on a nurse's desk, with a sign reading "take one". I was assuming that this would be under a doc's supervision, and I guess I was thinking about the alternatives.....an 11 year old pregnant kid. DH has delivered plenty of babies whose "mothers" screamed for their own moms in between pushes. That is where my mind went when I read the initial post. If these girls are having sex anyway, I think we should give them the means to protect themselves, whether we give them the stuff at school or give them a ride to Planned Parenthood to get it there. I don't think it is a perfect answer.....there is NOTHING good about young girls having sex. But they are doing it. And most teenagers end up keeping their babies if they continue their pregnancies, and the cycle continues......
I don't remember the specifics of the article that was linked, but although we are all freaking about 11 year olds, middle schools serve 11 through 15 year olds....the majority of the students are older than 11.


Sally

Sally said it better than I was able. Thank you.

[PrincessFiona]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

Sally, I'm all for birth control...but parents need to be involved. There is no discussion about that for me.

Quite frankly, a child that age that wants to be sexually active presents a huge red flag. The schools are not the place to deal with this issue, but if the schools/govt are going to deny my right to make healthcare decisions for my child and something goes wrong, I reserve my right to get justice my way.

Middle school serves grades 5-8 here. That is age 10-14

kris

[DrWahoo]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

I wonder why people don't take this approach with drinking. Why don't schools have drinking parties with two drink maximums. I mean kids are going drink anyway.

[PrincessFiona]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

Or provide clean needles and *safe* marijuana because they are "doing it" anyway....

Of course...those things are illegal...otherwise, they just might do it.

kris

[mommax3]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

But what if involving the parents is not in the best interest of the child? There is SO MUCH dysfunction out there. And not to nitpick, but it is extremely common for an 8th grader who has been held back to be 15 or even 16 by the time they finish 8th grade, and at-risk kids are much more likely to have been held back.

[Stella]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

As much as I am against abortion, I am FOR birth control.

This pretty much sums up my opinion.

But since I can talk and you just HAVE to listen, I'll go on.
I grew up in a poverty-stricken area and kids WERE having sex at 11. Not all of them, but I knew plenty. And a lot of them WERE pregnant at 12, 13, 16, etc. It's just the way it is in some places and I think offering birth control, even suggesting it, is a GREAT idea. Some kids keep these babies even though they are just 13. They just don't think that they can do any better. It's sad... but it's just the way it is in some places. Not all 11, 12, and 13 year olds have dreams of going to college, making more money, being a doctor or a firefighter, or even moving out of their parents' homes. Just because YOUR kids do, doesn't mean they all do. Some expect to be a "failure" or they expect to be a young mother and so the consequences of sex at 11 don't necessarily make sense to them - OR their parents. It's all a matter of education, but until we can educate everyone, we need to prevent these occurrences.

And before it comes up, I don't have kids. Big deal. I don't think that is necessarily relevant here although I think some of you will disagree.

I think everything should be available. I think kids need to be educated.

And, for the record, it's not just "bad" parents or "abusive" parents that don't educate their kids about sex. My mom never told me anything about it, just "don't do it." My dad asked "Did they teach you all that at school?" while we were watching a baseball game. THAT'S IT! I learned it all at school, and that was years ago. So, it doesn't mean parents are neglectful because they don't talk to their kids.

[PrincessFiona]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

How do you and I know what is in the best interests of the child? My daughter might tell her science teacher "don't tell my mom I got an F on the test, she'll kill me". But...I'm not going to kill her...maybe just be a bit disappointed.

Often what children fear/perceive isn't what will actually happen.

And...in a case of an early teen pregnancy like you are describing, Sally, I DO think there is a role for social services....there is obviously family dysfunction or a breakdown somewhere (yes, I've just invited the karma gods, I know!!!)

You don't KNOW how the parents will respond, but you aren't giving them the chance to do so. That is, I believe, a violation. Maybe the parents will be upset, but if this is done the *right* way, it could involve intervention by a counselor etc.

I know I know...that would cost more money than throwing a bcp at a young child.

Do you all really think even a 13 or 14 year old having sex is a normal thing? It's just not. These kids are crying out for some kind of help or have been or are currently experiencing abuse in some form....what is the best kind of help/protection for them? BCP or help from a physician, counselor and PARENTS.

kris

[Stella]

Re: Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control

-Nationally, more than half of teenagers are virgins until they are at least 17 years of age (Sex and America's Teenagers, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, New York, 1994).

That means HALF AREN'T!

-Nationally, nearly one million young women under age 20 become pregnant each year. That means close to 2800 teens get pregnant each day.( Facts in Brief: Teen Sex and Pregnancy, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, New York, 1996).

-Approximately 4 in 10 young women in the U.S. become pregnant at least once before turning 20 years old.( Facts in Brief: Teen Sex and Pregnancy, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, New York, 1996).

-Teen childbearing alone costs U.S. taxpayers nearly $7 billion annually for social services and lost tax revenues. (Kids Having Kids: Economic Costs and Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy, Prebecca Maynard (ed.), The Urban Institute, Washington, DC, 1997).