Posted on 04/07/2008 3:42:34 AM PDT by Man50D
(NaturalNews) A middle school in Portland, Maine is considering a proposal to provide birth control pills and patches to students as young as 11 years old. King Middle School launched a reproductive health program after five of the 135 students who visited the school's health center in 2006 reported being sexually active. The program already provides condoms to students, but the new proposal would expand this to include prescriptions for birth control pills and patches (which would then have to be purchased at a pharmacy).
The contraceptives could be dispensed without the knowledge of parents, although written permission would be required for children to receive (unspecified) services from the health center.
The proposed program has attracted controversy, with some people accusing the schools of taking away parental power and encouraging children to have sex too early. But school officials dispute these claims.
"We do certainly sit down and speak with them about why [being sexually active] is not a good choice," said Amanda Rowe, the school's nurse coordinator. "But there are some who persist... and they need to be protected."
Logan Levkoff, a sexologist and relationship expert, said that while the school may be stepping into a role that would better be filled by parents, many parents do not feel comfortable enough to do so. "Parents should be the sex educator for their children," Levkoff said. "The problem is not every parent feels empowered [to do so]."
Parents interviewed by ABC News were split on their feelings about the proposal.
"I don't think I would want my child in middle school to be getting birth control pills unless I had something to do with it," one woman said.
But another woman, a mother, disagreed: "I think that education at that age is appropriate because our culture is saturated with messages about sex," she said.
I hope they get sued. I’m not allowed to send an aspirin to school with my daughter but the school has a right to medicate her without my permission, or even my knowledge?
As long as it’s regarding sex, it seems the schools have unlimited discretion to do, say, or give anything they want to the kids.
What’s next? Will they provide a bed and some private time for the kids who want to have sex?
...after five of the 135 students who visited the school's health center in 2006 reported statutory rape....
And I’m sure B/C hormones don’t affect the development of girls going through puberty...
This is madness. We are killing ourselves with chemicals.
Given the recent opinions of California judicial activists, East Coast government indoctrination camp kommissars - excuse me, I meant "public school superintendents" - and ACLU lawyers, who can blame them?
Mr. niteowl77
And what in blue blazes it is of the school’s that anyone is sexually active or not? Not to mention just because someone says they are or aren’t doesn’t mean they’re telling the truth.
Parents don't feel empowered? Well, the solution is obviously to take all power away from parents and give it to the schools. That'll help. [/s]
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bttt
I like this instead: http://www.silverringthing.com/whatissrt.asp
Science and the MSM won’t admit that the chemicals in Birth Control Pills/Patches cause cancer.
Anybody else notice the dramatic increase in women’s cancer begining about 20 years after the introduction of the pill?
Has the school bothered to determine how many of the sexual partners of these children are adults? Or are they just going to provide birth control and look the other way?
Instead, they're trying to become medical clinics handing out medicine by a school nurse and LEO by strip searching 13 year old girls for contraband Advil.
They’ll get sued as soon as the adverse health affects of being on hormones hits these girls.
Wait until you see this one. I am so glad to get my child out of the school’s hands. Why they think they have the right to give my child at 11 yrs old birth control is not ok with me.
Not if I were on your jury.
Not likely, and probably.
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