Panel to Consider Birth Control Prescriptions at Maine Middle School

[Megs]

Quote:

PORTLAND, Maine — A Maine middle school is poised to become the first in the state to offer birth control prescriptions to students through its student health center. The Portland School Committee will weigh the proposal Wednesday, which would enable students at King Middle School to obtain the pill. Under the plan, King would become the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available to students in sixth through eighth grades, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. “This is a proposal we have been working on for six months,” Douglas S. Gardner, the director of Portland's health and human services department, said in a statement. “It came about from kids self reporting that they were sexually active. "Clearly they are too young to be engaged in sexual intercourse, but the reality is that they are sexually active," he said. "It is our responsibility to offer a full range of primary care services to students. Fortunately it’s a small number." Five of the 134 students who visited King's health center during the 2006-2007 school year reported having sexual intercourse, said Amanda Rowe, lead nurse in Portland's school health centers. "This is a service that is totally needed," Rowe said. "It's about very few kids, but they are kids who don't have the same opportunities and access as other students." King's health center, which opened in 2000, already provides condoms as part of its reproductive health program. Prescription birth control, such as pills or patches, would be prescribed after a physical examination by a physician or nurse practitioner, said Lisa Belanger, who oversees Portland's student health centers. Although students must have written parental permission to be treated at Portland's school-based health centers, state law allows them to seek confidential health care and to decide whether to inform their parents about the services they receive, Belanger said. Parents at most school-based health care centers can restrict access to specific services, said Divya Mohan, the communications manager for the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care in Washington, D.C. "There's a lot of widespread support for these centers because of all the other services they provide," she told FOXNews.com. "The reproductive health services are probably among the smallest of the services provided in the center." Typically the most common treatments at school-based health care centers are those for acute illness, comprehensive health assessments, asthma treatment, immunizations and sports physicals, Mohan said. "The two most common reproductive health services provided are pregnancy testing and abstinence counseling," Mohan said, noting that it is rare for a middle school to offer birth control. Most middle school students at King range in age from 11 to 13. Proponents of the new proposal say a small number of King students are sexually active, but those who are need better access to birth control. Statewide, the percentage of middle school students who reported having sexual intercourse dropped from 23 percent in 1997 to 13 percent in 2005, according to the Maine Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Maine has 27 school-based health centers, with 20 of them — including those in Portland — funded and overseen by the state, said Nancy Birkhimer, director of teen health programs for DHHS. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Story via Fox News

[Megs]

I am watching this on CNN right now... they are showing some footage of the parents who are against it. To be honest, these kids, age ranging from 11-13 are really young IMO to be thinking about sex. I really did not even understand sex fully then- AT ALL, nor did I think kids my age would be doing that.

CNN also reported that this school has been giving out condoms for years to these kids, aged 11-13.

[sarahcantiik]

Megs, things have changed a lot these days. In my days (I am 28 btw), kissing is all we know when we were 11-13. Sex is far far away in neverland.
I have a cousin who is 15 years apart than me, and seeing her and her friends disgust me. For one thing, the way they dress is like they're 7 years older. I wouldn't be surprised if they already know sex.

[jenniletv]

Yeah the kids these day are way too "experienced" in these things than I was at that age.

[ellacoach]

I live in Maine, just outside of Portland, and i think I saw on the 11:00 news last night that this passed...not sure though. I'm glad my son won't be going to this school when he's older. Too young IMO.

[cocogirl07]

Insane I just saw this on CNN...at the age of 12 I was pranking people with my lil brother...I was not even thinking about sex. I am college now and still find other things to do, like study and work. The school should offer counceling, they have no right to offer Birth control.

[bobobags]

Well, My daughters came home with an invitation to a party for one of their friends, they gave it to me..........I opened it, thinking it was a birthday party or something, then I read it, it was an invitation to the friend's baby shower they were in 6th grade at the time! Toooooooooo Young!!!

[Megs]

Originally Posted by bobobags

Well, My daughters came home with an invitation to a party for one of their friends, they gave it to me..........I opened it, thinking it was a birthday party or something, then I read it, it was an invitation to the friend's baby shower they were in 6th grade at the time! Toooooooooo Young!!!

In 6th grade... are they 11? 12? OMG

[maxter]

I am in the middle of a fight with our school local system. They want to start exposing the kids to the definition of oral sex in the middle school (6th, 7th and 8th grade) "health" class.

I've seen how this is happening via the agenda of people who are employed by the district but not necessarily a member of the school board. The person who is in charge of our district curriculum decided to make this change herself without going through proper chanels. Since the health class was already in place she decided she would add the oral sex "enhancement." So, a paper comes home with my son to explain what is going to be covered in the class. Only a handful of parents noticed the sheet and immediately called into the district - I was one of them. And now the district has their hands full. I have asked for her resignation. I have a HUGE problem with her making unilateral changes to a very sensitive issue without going thru proper procedure. The district has this procedures in place for EVERY class, not just the health class. Now we have more than 100 parents involved in this issue with the district. And I don't blame the parents for not seeing the first notice. My son brings home many papers and I have to stop and read every single one of them. This doesn't sound like a big deal but it is. Especially when you have more than one child, in more than one school, and involved in several sports events. It all adds up.

[maxter]

I have several issues with the school systems being involved in the entire "sex ed" process. The information is presented without any regard to commitment or respect or for those with religious concerns (although I am not one - I do respect those that have them). It is generally presented very matter-of-factly but I think we all know there is more to it than that. I also feel the perception of some the kids is that when it is presented in this manner it is somehow validated. And let's not forget how YOUNG these kids are.

My son (12) came home from school and said how uncomfortable he was to be in that situation with a big group of his classmates. We have talked about sex in the privacy of our home so he was familar with the topic. I was very impressed by the way he said it made him feel and he talked about how other kids were acting by giggling, laughing, making fun of the issue.

Would any of us really want to have a discussion about sex with all of our friends with a teacher present? It is just plain uncomfortable and IMO unprofessional.

Keep the government out of my life and let me raise my own kids - thank you!

[moniqueevertse]

i think its an excellent idea. i can name several people i know who had unprotected sex because health nurses told them they were "to young" for birth control and denied them. its sad fact that kids are having sex at a young age, but its reality. i say make it available.

[Roo]

Originally Posted by maxter

Keep the government out of my life and let me raise my own kids - thank you!

When you choose to place your kids in public schools, you are essentially consenting for them to be taught whatever "values" that school system has deemed important. My parents had us in private school because they wanted their values taught to us, not someone else's. We went to parochial school because those were my parents' values and the school shared them.

[rupbasoli]

This is such a difficult topic. If we bury our heads in the sand and believe these children aren't having sex, we may end up with children having children.

Conversely, if we make contraception available, what message are we giving kids? That it is OK to have sex?

What a hideous moral dilemma for parents/health workers/doctors etc. There is no easy answer.

[nathansgirl1908]

Originally Posted by Roo

When you choose to place your kids in public schools, you are essentially consenting for them to be taught whatever "values" that school system has deemed important. My parents had us in private school because they wanted their values taught to us, not someone else's. We went to parochial school because those were my parents' values and the school shared them.

I disagree. Public schools are not meant to teach values, and by sending their children there, parents are not consenting to any such thing. Schools are meant to educate kids on subjects objectively to prepare them for careers. It is up to parents to teach their children values.

On another note some private schools from my experience teach their students the wrong kind of values.


But if the schools MUST teach values, and they want to cut down on teenage pregnancy and the like, they should spend more money on abstinence campaigns. I don't like the mentality that since students are having sex, schools should just give in and try to make it "easier" for them. And that is essentially what they are doing by providing condoms and birth control pills.

[Roo]

Originally Posted by nathansgirl1908

I disagree. Public schools are not meant to teach values, and by sending their children there, parents are not consenting to any such thing. Schools are meant to educate kids on subjects objectively to prepare them for careers. It is up to parents to teach their children values.

Of course they are not supposed to teach values, but they DO. That's my point. And by sending your children to public school, you unwittingly consent to that. See what I'm saying? I'm not saying public schools are bad, they are what they are. What I'm saying is that the State decides what cirriculum is taught, how it is taught and they put their own slant on things. Think about it. They decide what literature will be read and also what social issues will be discussed including homosexuality, sexual behavior, etc. I know this is true because I have two kids who were in public schools. The youngest one just graduated. That slant may not necessarily be in line with every family's values. That was why my parents opted for Catholic schools. Any parent who thinks the public schools do not have an agenda in terms of trying to teach a certain set of "values" needs to pull their heads out of the sand.