Middle school offers birth control to 11 year olds
Maine middle school to offer birth control prescriptions to students 11:04 AM CT
11:05 AM CDT on Thursday, October 18, 2007
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine - 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.
The Portland School Committee approved the plan, offered by city health officials, on a 7-2 vote Wednesday night. Whether the prescriptions would be offered this school year or next wasn't immediately clear.
King is the only one of the three schools with a health center, primarily because it has more students who get free or reduced-price lunch, said Lisa Belanger, who oversees Portland's student health centers.
Five of the 134 students who visited King's health center during the 2006-07 school year reported having sexual intercourse, said Amanda Rowe, lead nurse in Portland's school health centers.
Committee member Sarah Thompson, also the mother of a King eighth-grader, supported the policy, even though it made her "uncomfortable."
"I know I've done my job as a parent," Thompson said. "(But there) may be a time when she doesn't feel comfortable coming to me ... (and) not all these kids have a strong parental advocate at home."
Chairman John Coyne opposed the change, saying the roles of social agencies and public schools have blurred over the years. "At some point there needs to be a clearing of the gray lines," he said.
The other "no" vote Wednesday night came from Ben Meiklejohn, who said a parental consent form, which allows students to receive any kind of treatment at the school health center, does not clearly define the services being offered.
Some opponents cited religious and health objections.
"We are dealing with children," said Diane Miller, a former school nurse said. "I am just horrified at the suggestion."
Another opponent, Peter Doyle, said he felt the proposal violated the rights of parents and puts students at risk of cancer because of hormones in the pill.
Supporters said a small number of students at King are sexually active, but they need better access to birth control.
"This isn't encouraging kids to have sex. This is about the kids who are engaging in sexually activity," Richard Veilleux said.
At King, birth control prescriptions will be given after a student undergoes a physical exam by a physician or nurse practitioner, Belanger said.
Nationally, about one-fourth of student health centers that serve at least one grade of adolescents 11 and older dispense some form of contraception, said Mohan, whose Washington-based organization represents more than 1,700 school-based centers nationwide.
A high school in Topeka, Kan., stopped providing free condoms to students Wednesday after district officials learned of the month-old program. The district has a policy against providing contraceptives.
11:05 AM CDT on Thursday, October 18, 2007
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine - 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.
The Portland School Committee approved the plan, offered by city health officials, on a 7-2 vote Wednesday night. Whether the prescriptions would be offered this school year or next wasn't immediately clear.
King is the only one of the three schools with a health center, primarily because it has more students who get free or reduced-price lunch, said Lisa Belanger, who oversees Portland's student health centers.
Five of the 134 students who visited King's health center during the 2006-07 school year reported having sexual intercourse, said Amanda Rowe, lead nurse in Portland's school health centers.
Committee member Sarah Thompson, also the mother of a King eighth-grader, supported the policy, even though it made her "uncomfortable."
"I know I've done my job as a parent," Thompson said. "(But there) may be a time when she doesn't feel comfortable coming to me ... (and) not all these kids have a strong parental advocate at home."
Chairman John Coyne opposed the change, saying the roles of social agencies and public schools have blurred over the years. "At some point there needs to be a clearing of the gray lines," he said.
The other "no" vote Wednesday night came from Ben Meiklejohn, who said a parental consent form, which allows students to receive any kind of treatment at the school health center, does not clearly define the services being offered.
Some opponents cited religious and health objections.
"We are dealing with children," said Diane Miller, a former school nurse said. "I am just horrified at the suggestion."
Another opponent, Peter Doyle, said he felt the proposal violated the rights of parents and puts students at risk of cancer because of hormones in the pill.
Supporters said a small number of students at King are sexually active, but they need better access to birth control.
"This isn't encouraging kids to have sex. This is about the kids who are engaging in sexually activity," Richard Veilleux said.
At King, birth control prescriptions will be given after a student undergoes a physical exam by a physician or nurse practitioner, Belanger said.
Nationally, about one-fourth of student health centers that serve at least one grade of adolescents 11 and older dispense some form of contraception, said Mohan, whose Washington-based organization represents more than 1,700 school-based centers nationwide.
A high school in Topeka, Kan., stopped providing free condoms to students Wednesday after district officials learned of the month-old program. The district has a policy against providing contraceptives.
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"Twice in one day," I thought, "what are the odds!!??"
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=268686
[:D]0 -
If they are not any better than the free condoms I used to get a Georgia Southern University, then I would not use them. We had free ones and about one out of three would bust. I started buying them and have never had that problem again. Maybe some parents should lay down some rules and enforce them then we wouldn't need to give 11 year olds birth control. I didn't know what "special parts" were used for, other than the bathroom, when I was 11. This world is going to "hell in a hand basket".
Mike0 -
i could be wrong but i thought it was illegal in every state for 11 yr olds to have sex, even with other 11 yr olds.
remember the 15 yr old girl who was charged with producing child pornography because she took some naked pictures of herself and posted them on the internet ?0 -
quote:Originally posted by mike55
If they are not any better than the free condoms I used to get a Georgia Southern University, then I would not use them. We had free ones and about one out of three would bust. I started buying them and have never had that problem again. Maybe some parents should lay down some rules and enforce them then we wouldn't need to give 11 year olds birth control. I didn't know what "special parts" were used for, other than the bathroom, when I was 11. This world is going to "hell in a hand basket".
Mike
And at a frightening pace..[V]0 -
Why didn't the parents rise up and stop this. It sounds like they just rolled over and let the school tell them how it was going be.[}:)]
Trinity +++0 -
i wonder what would happen if the school handed out free Bibles ? 0 -
AMEN TO THAT ONE BARKINGDOG 0 -
quote:Originally posted by cce1302
"Twice in one day," I thought, "what are the odds!!??"
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=268686
[:D]
I searched through page three to see if anyone else had posted this, but I missed it. Sorry kimi.
Ah well too late to delete.0 -
quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
quote:Originally posted by cce1302
"Twice in one day," I thought, "what are the odds!!??"
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=268686
[:D]
I searched through page three to see if anyone else had posted this, but I missed it. Sorry kimi.
Ah well too late to delete.
Hey, no biggee with me, allen. I don't mind a duplicate posting in the least, although I do scan page "1" quick like before posting, I often double-up sometimes too.0 -
Another issue may be the safety of someone that young taking birth control pills. I doubt that age group was involved in the FDA testing for apprroval of any of the BC pills. Who knows what ill effects they may have on someone that young. BC pills at least used to be prescribed by a doctor and I assume a prescription is needed. Does the school have a doctor on staff to do this or just a nurse? How are they (the School) going to legally get the BC pills to hand out without a Pharmacy license or prescriptions? Is the School going to take responsibility if a student that gets the pills has complications? That is a ton of liability. 0 -
This is one of the reasons my sons went to private school through Jr.
High. Schools need to teach the three R's....morals, health,etc should be taught at home.0 -
i think 11 yr olds should be able to get birth control pills, a vibrator AND an abortion...in the same office and be back in time for 3rd period for math. 0 -
You nailed it dakota. Prior to prescribing oral contraceptives or the patch, a physician MUST see the patient, perform a physical and run a pregnancy test. Then they must be prescribed by that same physician either through a pharmacy or from his own stock. There are multiple types of contraceptives that have to be considered based upon age, maturation/developmental stage and body chemistry. The amount of hormones in the pill or patch must be tailored as close as possible to the patient.
About the only "one size fits all" female contraceptive is the Depo-provera injection...and that is not recommended for anyone under 16 or 17.
I can see a lawsuit coming out of this when a child has a reaction to a contraceptive that was given by the school.
Trinity...I think many parents attended the board meeting and voiced their disagreement with the plan and the board took the typical "we know whats better for your children than you do" attitude. Sad actually.0 -
Why didn't the parents rise up and stop this. It sounds like they just rolled over and let the school tell them how it was going be.
Trinity +++
Wow, what a brilliant post. I am just amazed at how you've fixed the blame for this situation exactly where it should be, right on the schools.
First, you did a wonderful job of sidestepping any responsibility for the 17 girls and 17 boys who made the babies. Yes, I'm sure nobody ever told them not to have sex until they were married. I'm sure they had absolutely no idea that children are created from sex. And I think they have absolutely every right in the world to bring their screaming, yowling child to school and plunk it down right on top of their desk while everyone else is trying to learn. You're 100% right, Trinity, the mothers and fathers are totally not to blame.
Second, you did a super job of sidestepping any responsibility for the parents of the 17 girls and 17 boys. After all, why should the parent of a 13 year old be expected to know where she is and what she's doing? Why should the parent of a 13 year old girl be expected to talk to her about pregnancy and contraception? Why should the parent of a 13 year old be expected to teach values, morals, and delayed gratification? Again, 100% on the spot, Trinity. The parents of these 34 children bear absolutely no responsibility for these 17 pregnancies.
Third, in a really masterful move, you exempted religious leaders, grandmothers and grandparents, aunts and uncles, older brothers and sisters, next-door neighbors, and every other family / community member who should have been involved in the raising and supervision of these children. Why should they be expected to tell them to go home when it was late, to call the parents when they saw the kids behaving badly, to slap some sense into a younger sibling. Yes, all those folks are 100% blameless in this.
And finally, you took all the blame for this, every last little bit of it, and dumped it right where it belongs: the schools. Yes, teachers shouldn't just be teaching reading, writing and math. No, according to Trinity and so many others, teachers should also be supervising the children 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
You see, when SOMEBODY, FREAKING SOMEBODY has to step up and deal with the problem of a bunch of pregnant 13 year old kids and how to prevent more of them, the schools, according to Trinity, are the ones who should be blamed.
I'll make it real simple: The children took no responsibility. The parents took no responsibility. The extended family took no responsibility. The religious leaders took no responsibility. So when the schools finally sit down and try to find some sort of solution, Trinity and a bunch of others complain about it.
Oh, and the best was Barking Dog and needmyguns. Yes, Barking Dog and needmyguns don't want to be responsible, don't want to get up early Sunday morning and drive their children to church and sit with them in Sunday school. That's just to much. . . responsibility. So their plan is to have, yes, the schools take over their children's religious education.
Isn't it just wonderful? Don't you love being in America where somebody else is always to blame?0 -
quote:Originally posted by mlincoln
[brOh, and the best was Barking Dog and needmyguns. Yes, Barking Dog and needmyguns don't want to be responsible, don't want to get up early Sunday morning and drive their children to church and sit with them in Sunday school. That's just to much. . . responsibility. So their plan is to have, yes, the schools take over their children's religious education.
Isn't it just wonderful? Don't you love being in America where somebody else is always to blame?
i love being in america to laugh at nutt cases like you, haha0 -
quote: could be wrong but i thought it was illegal in every state for 11 yr olds to have sex, even with other 11 yr olds.
Convince the kids sneaking around and haveing sex that it is illegal.Show a kid a jar full of cookies and then tell him he cant have any.. Yep......As I said,, TV, and movies have glamorized sex and if ya have a six pack of Bud and two blond bimbos on your arm then its even more glamorous...[:(] You have seen the ads on TV..0 -
quote:Originally posted by William81
This is one of the reasons my sons went to private school through Jr.
High. Schools need to teach the three R's....morals, health,etc should be taught at home.
Should be the important word there.0 -
Kids these days in public school can't bring a brownie, because of the danger of an allergic reaction of another student.
They can't get an aspirin or a band-aid from the school nurse because of "liabliity".
But these same state employees can hand out prescribed, hormone-based birth control pills based on some contrived "epidemic" of middle-school pregnancies.
One solution. Homeschool or Charter school. These America-hating, Nihilist NEA scum just can't miss any opportunity to wedge themselves between the relationship between parent and child.
It is unconcionable. But only to those who have a concience.
D.0 -
The vast majority of the parents attending the school board meeting spoke out against the school health program giving out birth control pills. The school board did not vote against the program the way the parents asked them to. The one good thing about it is that a parent has to sign a consent form for the student to be treated by the health program. But if they sign then the program can give out birth control pills without notifying the parents. They have been giving out conraceptives there for 3 or 4 years. 0 -
41 Nut is right. However, if the parents sign the form then that means the child cant have ANY treatment from the health office. That means no bandaids, no asthma inhalers, not even an ICE PACK for a bruise.
Little known fact is that school boards are secret ways liberals gain power. Snakes !!0 -
you cant give 11 year old girls birth control pills at school! that will lead to a lot of really bad things...[V] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by divebomb
you cant give 11 year old girls birth control pills at school! that will lead to a lot of really bad things...[V]
the government knows best how to raise children.0 -
"Why didn't the parents rise up and stop this. It sounds like they just rolled over and let the school tell them how it was going be.
Trinity +++
Wow, what a brilliant post. I am just amazed at how you've fixed the blame for this situation exactly where it should be, right on the schools.
First, you did a wonderful job of sidestepping any responsibility for the 17 girls and 17 boys who made the babies. Yes, I'm sure nobody ever told them not to have sex until they were married. I'm sure they had absolutely no idea that children are created from sex. And I think they have absolutely every right in the world to bring their screaming, yowling child to school and plunk it down right on top of their desk while everyone else is trying to learn. You're 100% right, Trinity, the mothers and fathers are totally not to blame.
Second, you did a super job of sidestepping any responsibility for the parents of the 17 girls and 17 boys. After all, why should the parent of a 13 year old be expected to know where she is and what she's doing? Why should the parent of a 13 year old girl be expected to talk to her about pregnancy and contraception? Why should the parent of a 13 year old be expected to teach values, morals, and delayed gratification? Again, 100% on the spot, Trinity. The parents of these 34 children bear absolutely no responsibility for these 17 pregnancies.
Third, in a really masterful move, you exempted religious leaders, grandmothers and grandparents, aunts and uncles, older brothers and sisters, next-door neighbors, and every other family / community member who should have been involved in the raising and supervision of these children. Why should they be expected to tell them to go home when it was late, to call the parents when they saw the kids behaving badly, to slap some sense into a younger sibling. Yes, all those folks are 100% blameless in this.
And finally, you took all the blame for this, every last little bit of it, and dumped it right where it belongs: the schools. Yes, teachers shouldn't just be teaching reading, writing and math. No, according to Trinity and so many others, teachers should also be supervising the children 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
You see, when SOMEBODY, FREAKING SOMEBODY has to step up and deal with the problem of a bunch of pregnant 13 year old kids and how to prevent more of them, the schools, according to Trinity, are the ones who should be blamed.
I'll make it real simple: The children took no responsibility. The parents took no responsibility. The extended family took no responsibility. The religious leaders took no responsibility. So when the schools finally sit down and try to find some sort of solution, Trinity and a bunch of others complain about it.
Oh, and the best was Barking Dog and needmyguns. Yes, Barking Dog and needmyguns don't want to be responsible, don't want to get up early Sunday morning and drive their children to church and sit with them in Sunday school. That's just to much. . . responsibility. So their plan is to have, yes, the schools take over their children's religious education.
Isn't it just wonderful? Don't you love being in America where somebody else is always to blame?"
Wow mlincolin,
You got all that sound reasoning out of my little post. I didn't know all that was my entire fault. Thanks for pointing that all out to me. How insightful and intelligent of an individual you must be in order to read into such a small post and come up with so much condescending crap. You have got to be a teacher. Only an educated smart ass could derive all that from so few words.[:(!]
One thing is clear though, and that is you sure don't know me very well. Your post is full of your own BS opinions not mine. Don't do to me like the Left wing media does and put words into my mouth/post buy taking my words out of context.[}:)]
I didn't blame anyone; those are your words not mine. I only asked why the parents let this happen. You filled in the rest with your own dribble & innuendo.
If this would have been my school district I and my spouse, our Church, neighbors, friends & family members wouldn't have let it happen. We would have rose up and demanded it stop before it ever begun.
The fact that some children have had sex in a particular school district doesn't make it the schools responsibility to step in and try and run the daily life of a child or be a fax parent. They need to stick to teaching the three R's and stay out of the rest of a child's life. This is big brother 101, and any parent who lets the school step all over them is not doing their job. These parents have become lazy; they are too use to having things done for them. One of the parents effected by this was quoted as saying "Oh well what can we do?" If you want your kid to have birth control, then you should be the one to go to the doctor and get it for them, not the school.
However, any one who allows a child who is 11 years old to have birth control is facilitating a crime, and should be looked at by Child Protective Services for endangering the welfare of the child. It isn't the schools place to medicate a child, and most 11 year old females are not physically mature enough to handle the changes that screwing with their hormones is going to cause. Have they even considered the long range effects that could come from giving a young girl of 11 the pill?
If there is anyone to blame here besides the parents it is our society its self for rolling over and allowing teachers, and their unions to try spread their left wing propaganda into our communities. We have become complacent, and we think it will only affect someone else. Just wait, it will soon be coming to a school district or community near us all.
If you were you looking for an argument mlincoln I'm sorry that I didn't reply back sooner. You see I was too busy this weekend to access the internet. It was opening of deer season where I live, and my 17 year old daughter wanted to sight in her new 308. She didn't have much time, because she was in a high school drama play where she played the lead in Shakespeare's Mid Summer Nights Dream. The entire family went to see the play, and we were up early the next morning to go hunting. Sunday was more of the same. Up early to hunt, go to Church, eat dinner together, go back to Church for Youth Group, come home and watch Dallas beat the Vikings, and then go hunting again. Yep, blame me for spending too much time with my kids, and trying to invoke quality values in them that they can use throughout the rest of their lives.
Yep, it's my fault. I'm glad you straitened me out, and were able to gleam all that from my little post. [;)]
Trinity +++0 -
What he said:
And finally, you took all the blame for this, every last little bit of it, and dumped it right where it belongs: the schools. Yes, teachers shouldn't just be teaching reading, writing and math. No, according to Trinity and so many others, teachers should also be supervising the children 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
What he should have said:
all the blame for this, every last little bit of it, is right where it belongs: the schools. teachers should be teaching reading, writing and math. teachers should also be supervising the children
Doug0 -
Doug, I can agree more to your translation, but even though it is a true statement it isn't what I first said.
For someone to jump through as many hoops as mlincolin did in order to stretch my few words to fit their agenda reeks of someone induced by a Jezebel spirit.
Trinity +++0 -
Upon going back and re-reading your original post, you're right, I did jump to too many conclusions. I apologize.
I get riled up when people dump on schools. I've worked in many, and 95% of the people I meet work very hard for a modest salary. I've also done a great deal of human services volunteer work. Lots of work for no salary. Like I say, 95% of the people I have worked and volunteered with do a great job for not much if not any money.
Quite often, schools and human services agencies get all the problems that nobody else wants to deal with. In my 14 years as a teacher and volunteer I've seen kids are abused, neglected, un-nurtured, and often just unwanted.
And when the schools and human services agencies do try to fix the problem, there's always somebody--and often many people--who are there to immediately critize. Doesn't matter what's happened before, doesn't matter all that's been done before, somebody is always ready to go on and on about the failing public schools and liberal agendas and so forth.
A case in point: in grad school I was working at a state facility for mentally ill children. One 10 year old boy had been taken away from his family and put in the facility. He had been raped so much by his father that at night when he crawled into bed he would twist the blanket up into a phallic shape and put it in his rectum as a sort of pacifier.
I'm at a party one night after working with this child all day and I'm drinking a few beers and trying to forget about it. Somebody asks about my day and I say that I'm having a rough time working with a child who was taken from his parents because they were abusing him. I get that out, and some guy immediately starts in with, "You know, it's these damn liberals who are ruining our country by breaking up families."
And if you listen, you hear it every single day. "Failing schools" is probably repeated 1,000 times a day on talk radio. I've worked in 8 different schools, and I've never come across more than two or three ineffective teachers in any one of them. Out of a faculty of 60 or so, that's not a lot. I have, though, come across many, many children who do not speak English well or at all, who do not have any parental support at home, who were not read to when young, and who are raised by and large by the television. And every year that I have taught the percentage of these children in the school population has increased dramatically.
So I have a short burn time about this. I should not get all riled up about it, though, and I shouldn't say that you said things that you didn't. I apologize. Sorry about the long response.0 -
Wonder if the school board is gonna pick up the "child support" when an 11 year old who can't remember to make their bed every day forgets a few pills and gets pregnant anyway. 0 -
mlincoln,
Thanks, I understand, and accept your response. It takes a special kind of person to recognize when they may be wrong. Two wrongs don't make one right., and I too am sorry I came down on you the way I did.
Trinity +++0 -
quote:
Oh, and the best was Barking Dog and needmyguns. Yes, Barking Dog and needmyguns don't want to be responsible, don't want to get up early Sunday morning and drive their children to church and sit with them in Sunday school. That's just to much. . . responsibility. So their plan is to have, yes, the schools take over their children's religious education.
Perhaps Barking Dog and needmyguns would prefer to see children choose their own religion rather than be brainwashed into believing what the parents believe.0
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