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.
“...they need to be protected.”
...from the consequences of their own actions, which forms the basis for the entire nanny-state movement. If the birth control doesn’t work, they can be ‘protected’ by an abortion. If that doesn’t work, there is always AFDC and welfare.
Perhaps an even better way to ‘protect’ them would be a large box of diapers and baby wipes, a supply of injectable antibiotics for the treatment of STD, and an alarm clock which wakes them up at three hour intervals in preparation for infant care. And a list of available minimum wage jobs, which is all they will ever qualify for.
Hump and get STD’s kids, that’s OK. But we don’t want you to be punished with a child, no way.
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The left is just implementing its agenda. They seek to have everyone having sex with everyone else, with no responsibility involved, and to strip parents of their influence over the moral code of their children. (but they still want the parent’s money)
Well, we wouldn’t want to inconvenience their mother’s boyfriends. I mean, they might have to drop these little girls off at Planned Parenthood.
“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.”
WTF? What does that mean, maybe yes and maybe no? Sheesh, why don’t they just say, “hey, we’re the school board, we’ll do whatever we want.”
“WTF? What does that mean, maybe yes and maybe no? Sheesh, why don’t they just say, “hey, we’re the school board, we’ll do whatever we want.””
It means that once you’ve given permission for them to receive any kind of care. Such as an upset stomach or actual medical emergency they can do anything they want without the parents permission or knowledge.
They tried this a few months ago and were beat down. They are just trying another time. Anyone who admits knowing a child was raped and didn’t report it should be boiled in oil.
This coming after a thread last week where some (including some of FReepers) actually think that it is appropriate to strip search a thirteen year old girl because she might be taking ibuprofen for cramps.
I also was noticing where it said that the pills or patches would have to be purchased at a pharmacy. The sex positive crowd will try to circumvent that at the first opportunity, they will cry about how it will put an "burden" on these girls because they will have to get money and go to a pharmacy.
Logan Levkoff, children of 11 years of age shouldn't be having sex.
But perhaps you already knew that, being a sexologist and relationship expert.
I’m getting mixed messages. Is this an attempt to control drugs, of all kinds, at public schools? Or, is this an attempt for a school nurse to have carte blanche in the unhappy event that a child needs to see the school nurse for [anything at all, fill in the blank(?)]
IOW, one trip for a flu fever and the child is ‘A-listed for [whatever, strip search, etc.(?)] I don’t think it’s wise for a school nurse to be dispensing anything to a child. Not aspirin, motrin, pamprin, mydol, nothing.
oh Frou, LOL, very OL, I just love you, you’re so funny
As far as I know its primarily designed to push birth control and the morning after pill. Abortions are probably also discussed (just my guess). IMO it has nothing to do with the health of the child and more about taking control of the child.
There’s a boy in our ‘hood, about 12 I guess, who’s dad shooed him away one day when I drove by and waved at him. This is a dad who has lost trust for the very kinds of reasons as presented here.
And why shouldn’t he? If coaches dispense steroids to athletes, how is that different from dispensing birth control to girls? Other than, they’re both WRONG?
It’s wrong for public schools to place teachers in that ‘trust’ role, particularly given that more and more of them are having sex with their students! Before I get flamed, let’s not get gender specific here.
Wait, maybe that’s what this is about! An ‘acceptable’ way for the lusty women teachers to get their mitts on the patch so they won’t have ‘baby bumps’ giving away their indiscretions. After all, that’s how welfare happened [’to remove the stigma of the bastard child,’ my lily white one!]
The fact is that all kids in school NEED to take medications for various reasons at one time or another and for younger children in elementary school it might be necessary for a nurse or a teacher to at least be aware of this to make sure they are taken properly. However, I think that middle school and high school students should be responsible enough to have over the counter medicines like asprin, etc. or prescriptions that are prescribed to them.
I don't think that school clinics (which generally don't have physicians) should be prescribing ANYTHING. If a child needs to be prescribed something, their parent should be present to find out exactly what it is for and if it's even necessary.
What about this? Let’s assume for a minute that a growing number of parents are fed up with this kind of thing and remand their kids to parochial or private schools. BUT, this won’t prevent them from having to pay taxes the same as they would if their kids were in public school.
So, what are the taxing entities doing with the extra tax dollars??? I’m betting there’s a surplus, even after the free breakfast and lunch and the school nurse pharmacy they’re trying to set up.
I’m beginning to think The Fair Tax is the only hope we have.
Can’t a school nurse be prosecuted for failure to report clear evidence of child abuse and neglect? Such as statutory rape?
But none of this is accidental. They’re getting the results they planned for. See tagline.
I don’t think I was clear. I mean, if a child has prescribed medications, the nurse has to be informed about it, and may dispense what a DOCTOR has prescribed. But, I don’t think it’s appropriate to have the nurse handing out anything that the parents haven’t provided, except for maybe a bandaid or some bacitracin. Birth control products are not OTC and a nurse isn’t certified to prescribe them. For that, a PA is needed.
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