Well, that makes perfect medical sense. Obviously the possibility of pregnancy needs to be ruled out.
Having a parent decide to prohibit this test because, "My child can't possibly be pregnant" would be medically, though possibly not legally, unsound.
MSNBC Melissa Harris-Perry:
“We have to break through,” she urged, “our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to their families.”
Read more: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/04/09/why_msnbc__the_left_resent_good_parents_117868.html#ixzz34zaTVzAk
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Having worked in hospitals in the past, I’ve seen first hand how it can be with teens, healthcare and parents. I’ve seen several occasions where the teen was sexually active, didn’t want the parents to know, and was having a health crisis as a result of the sexual activity.
I’ve seen parents explode at doctors for even asking if the kid was sexually active, and even when it was explained to the parents that it was merely an effort to isolate the possible cause of the health problem, they still were upset and didn’t want to return to the health care facility if Dr. X was on duty.
It’s understandable that a kid would be embarrassed about a health issue relating to sex since so many educators these days insist that parents shouldn’t be trusted..I’ve seen the manual in print so that point is inarguable with me.
It’s also understandable that a health facility would want to treat problems related to sexual activity since so many of those health issues can be quite deadly. A bladder infection can destroy kidneys!
However, ASKING a parent for those few moments with the kid is respectful of both the parent and the child. Taking a moment with the parent alone to explain and educate is a MUCH better approach than to have a policy such as in the OP.
Some parents DO cherish the ‘intimacy’ of sexually educating their children themselves. As a young girl, I remember those moments with my mom and the bonding which occurred and lasted a lifetime as a result of those talks, and the trust which was built.
And as a parent, I resented the government’s efforts to impose upon me and my child with regard to such private matters. While I was trying to teach my kids to keep their pants on, the schools were teaching them how to deceive me by going behind my back. Thankfully, I paid attention to my kids so when one of them did become pregnant, “I” approached her and all turned out well. AND, that child who was not aborted, became an educator AND has offspring :) Many lives were saved that day.
When a thing is ‘’understandable’’ it doesn’t mean it’s acceptable or agreed with. It simply means taking a moment to look objectively at both sides of the issue to see where people are coming from. Because somewhere in the middle lies a solution.
The most important relationship a kid has are his/her parents. Even when the parents are totally lousy, they are STILL the most important people in that child’s world, for better or for worse. Considering that today’s parents were yesterday’s school kids, it doesn’t make sense that the government would attempt to usurp that relationship. You would think that this generation of parents would be more open to being ‘educated’ about their own kids since they tend to come from such small families themselves and of working parents.
No teacher or school can even hope to take the place of loving parents, nor should they. Doing so is an exercise in poor judgment, faulty philosophy and is not in the best interest of kids. Tearing families apart weakens the entire nation, leading to the hopeless crisis of social ills and financial woes that are entrenched in our country today.
It’s a pattern with a purpose, and not a good purpose.