What is this world coming to?
Maine Middle School to Offer Birth Control
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- After an outbreak of pregnancies among middle school girls, education officials in this city have decided to allow a school health center to make birth control pills available to girls as young as 11.
King Middle School will become the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available, including birth control pills and patches. Condoms have been available at King's health center since 2000.
Students need parental permission to access the school's health center. But treatment is confidential under state law, which allows the students to decide whether to inform their parents about the services they receive.
There are no national figures on how many middle schools provide such services. Most middle schoolers range in age from 11 to 13.
"It's very rare that middle schools do this," said Divya Mohan, a spokeswoman for the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care.
Portland's three middle schools reported 17 pregnancies during the last four years, not counting miscarriages or terminated pregnancies that weren't reported to the school nurse.
This is really scary - these are sixth and seventh graders we're talking about. If people are getting pregnant in high school that's already bad enough, but 11-year olds? I mean, think that this is an okay idea if there's really that many people getting pregnant, but won't some kids think "oh, I have birth control pills so I won't get pregnant. I can just go around having sex and nothing will happen"?
Rest of the article:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/10/18/middleschool.contraception.ap/index.html
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- After an outbreak of pregnancies among middle school girls, education officials in this city have decided to allow a school health center to make birth control pills available to girls as young as 11.
King Middle School will become the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available, including birth control pills and patches. Condoms have been available at King's health center since 2000.
Students need parental permission to access the school's health center. But treatment is confidential under state law, which allows the students to decide whether to inform their parents about the services they receive.
There are no national figures on how many middle schools provide such services. Most middle schoolers range in age from 11 to 13.
"It's very rare that middle schools do this," said Divya Mohan, a spokeswoman for the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care.
Portland's three middle schools reported 17 pregnancies during the last four years, not counting miscarriages or terminated pregnancies that weren't reported to the school nurse.
This is really scary - these are sixth and seventh graders we're talking about. If people are getting pregnant in high school that's already bad enough, but 11-year olds? I mean, think that this is an okay idea if there's really that many people getting pregnant, but won't some kids think "oh, I have birth control pills so I won't get pregnant. I can just go around having sex and nothing will happen"?
Rest of the article:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/10/18/middleschool.contraception.ap/index.html
that is scary. that just scares me. just to think that a school is offering birth control to kids who as young as 11. what are parents doing about this???
PenguinPunk, October 25th, 2007 at 01:32:27am
I agree with all of you, it's going to encourage it! It isn't right, it is going to make people want to have sex at that age, and it can ruin kids who do it that young, it might encourange more guys and girls to take advantage of any boyfriends or girlfriends, what could be just an inoccent childhood relationship could develop into something alot more complicated, I mean kids should be able to experiance a relationship at this age, everyone does right? but going that far spoils it.
It changes people, and they grow up too fast.
Pluck_My_Bass, October 24th, 2007 at 04:15:32pm
iceboxx, i dont even know your friend but i just gained so much dammed respect for her by just hearing about it, you woulnt belive me if i told you. i guess it isnt the kids fault if they're raped, but still, teen sex statistics are getting worse by the year and giving out birth controll pills in middle school ISNT going to help
Blarg!, October 24th, 2007 at 12:56:20am
My friend was raped and had a baby over the summer. We're only in eighth grade now. She finally came back to school yesterday. She's showed me pictures of her baby girl, Jaylan [I think that's how you spell it] and she's adorable! Everyone's talking badly about her, but she didn't do anything wrong. She didn't get an abortion, she didn't put her up for adoption, and she loves her daughter more than anything in the world. I'm so proud of her!
Anyways, my point is...sometimes, it's not the kids' fault.
lishaaaaa, October 24th, 2007 at 12:10:16am
this is really disturbing and disgusting and wrong...i think it's just convincing them more to do the wrong thing...
Kr!sta's Inferno, October 24th, 2007 at 12:06:36am
Kids shouldn't even be having sex at 11 years old!
I agree, suppling them with the pill is a bad idea, that way they think they can go around having sex now they've got protection.
But, it is better than letting the 11 year olds get pregnant.
germma margaret!, October 23rd, 2007 at 06:23:24am
Oh yeah, let's just encourage and enable them some more. Maybe the parents of children should be keeping a better eye on them and know what their kids are getting up to. They are after responsible for the care and protection of their children - one would hope.
Kids at that age aren't going to remember to take a pill every day, nor are they going to understand the effect alcohol and drugs can have on the pill. I doubt very much this plan if put into effect will lower pregnancy rates, I fear it will have the oposite effect.
Cutting the parents out of this by keeping things confidential doesn't do anything to help the child/parent relationship either. This is something parents need to discuss with their children. Children at this age just cannot make an informed decision. Wow this is just not forward thinking at all. You're right, that is messed up.
And what concerns me the most is that the permission forms entitled Health Center may be misleading to parents. Of course if they require medical attention you would automatically sign the form, but Geez, they better spell out in plain English what it is the parents are signing or there will be a multitude of legal actions.
Grandma, October 23rd, 2007 at 03:31:07am
Oh my god.. That is sick and wrong. They're just kids! Man what the hell.. >_<
threeam., October 23rd, 2007 at 03:12:39am
I'll tell ya what this world is comming to when 11 year olds start gettin laid: hell
Blarg!, October 23rd, 2007 at 01:32:35am
That's disgusting.
An 11-year-old's body [usually] isn't ready to carry a child, and they're quite obviously not ready to handle a baby themselves. They don't have enough life experience. Most 20-year-olds dont even have enough life experience, or don't feel ready for a child.
I think they're getting into that kind of stuff without properly understanding the consequences.
Hello, My Name Is Asshole, October 23rd, 2007 at 12:39:23am