Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control to ages 11???

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Maine Middle School to offer Birth Control to ages 11???

Postby Frustrated » Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:31 pm

What's your opinion on the News about Maine Middle School offering Birth Control contrapceptives as young as 11 yrs old? :shock:

Here is the news article about this:

Maine middle school to offer birth controlStory Highlights
Portland, Maine, to let middle school provide birth control pills

King Middle School first school in state to provide the service

Some upset about giving pill to girls as young as 11-years-old

City has had 17 pregnancies reported in middle schools in four years

Next Article in Health »


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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.


Maine's King Middle School is the first in the state to offer full range of contraceptives to 6th-8th graders.

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. Watch parents react to the school's plan »

"It's very rare that middle schools do this," said Divya Mohan, a spokeswoman for the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care.


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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, Kansas, stopped providing free condoms to students Wednesday after district officials learned of the month-old program. The district has a policy against providing contraceptives.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/10/18/mi ... index.html
It is easy to steal from poor people. But don't do it. And don't take advantage of those poor people in court. The Lord is on their side. He supports them and he will take things away from any person that takes from them.~ Proverbs 22:22

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Postby debbiescalese » Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:53 pm

this was running on cnn I think yesterday morning. My first reaction is WTF?? These are kids ages 11-13 they shouldn't be having sex. Realisticly they might be but here is the problem I'll sum it up with an example: when my sister was 16 she took herself down to the health dept and got the pill several months into it she began getting clots in the veins in her legs. Now thankfully my sister came clean to my mother and she took her to the doctor and my sister discontinued use of the pill before she died which she probably would have if she continued with the pill. Now had she gone to my mother she could have told her you can't go on that because you have a family history of clots forming in the legs from birthcontrol pill use but because she didn't and didn't know the associated dangers long term use would have killed her.
Now in a nut shell a person under 18 is a minor and cannot consent to any type of treatment (even just stiches in an emergancy) with out an adult. Why cause they don't know the consequences of thier actions. Doctors don't treat them because they may have reactions to medication that the child is not aware of but the parent might be. I also don't this in these types of situations the school nurse is going to explain to this 11 so she can understand that she could die from a reaction to any medication she takes.
Personally as a mother of an 11 year old I would be livid! If anyone gave my kid a pill of any type not just birthcontrol with out my consent or knowledge I'd be out for blood. For the record yes I did give my child the gardicil shots and at "that" time I will talk about condom use and I will say that I would prefer abstance and this is the best form of birthcontrole.

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Postby Frustrated » Thu Oct 18, 2007 1:37 pm

I don't think this is wise because it could give adverse reaction and effects to their bodies, such as allergies, breast cancer, and could damage their ovaries over time. It could damage their physical health. It could give them infertility problems later on if should they want to procreate when they become adults. It could give a whole bunch of problems in a 11 yrs old child and would later have severe problems when they become an adult such as irregular periods, clots, tumors to the ovaries and so forth.

I admit there are high rates of pregnancies with young teens. We need to advocate sex educations in these classes. Tell the Teens not to do it, through Abstience is the best way. I think also that Parents has the responsiblity to ensure their child/ren understands the pros. and cons. about having early sex with males. Like discussing Birds and Bees with the children but the thing is which age is best to educate these children is the question!

I think instead of offering birth control to pre teens, I think the sex education should be placed into these classes for them to learn and give them a fake baby to learn how or what's its like to care for a baby. Give them 6 pound flour to carry around at all times. or even an egg. Teach them about responsibility. I think it should become a course, and I think maybe make them write one page of what they see themselves in 10 years time. I think it will make the pre-teens think twice of having early sex. Parents has the responsibility to supervise and discuss and have conversations about these delicate matters to avoid teen preganancy but we need to be mindful that we should be teaching young males as well so they don't spread STD's or AIDS......and responsibility not to get a girl pregnant. It is a two way street. It is not always the girls, but the boys too.

If CPS gets involved, why not offer Services to these pre teens to avoid pregnancy? It is very good question. Why not? But one would think why would a Father be accused of Sexual Abuse if the pre teen daughter is out having sex with males? and get pregnant?

Yes absurd. I think the CPS needs to broaden their investigation to see if the girls are promsicious in having early sex with males out there. The parents cannot always guarantee 100% supervision. Because these girls could have fake out Sleep over at a friend and lie to their parents? It is the parent's responsibilty to check on their child/ren on where they are at (at all times). These kids knows how to get away from over protective parents. That's why it is very important to have a conversaton to a child about teen sex.

Sex Education is the best way to go for all Schools to offer them, not birth control. Schools are not Doctors giving out meds. They need to remember that. Schools is a place of learning, not a hospital or a Medical Clinic handing out freebees. There are already these Clinics being offered to them if they should need it. They can walk over there and ask for one. But then again, it requires a Parental consent Signature.

Also, I think Birth Control should be for older teens, from 16 to 18. Maybe with a Parental Permission, I think 15 should be okay. But not younger teens. We need to protect their bodies because it is constantly growing every day. (puberty stage and periods).

Think about it, if they offer the birth control to ages 11, what about those that never had their periods yet? :shock:
It is easy to steal from poor people. But don't do it. And don't take advantage of those poor people in court. The Lord is on their side. He supports them and he will take things away from any person that takes from them.~ Proverbs 22:22

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Postby debbiescalese » Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:24 pm

think like an 11-13 year old for a min. What do you think that they are thinking about this. "Hey cool, my school says its okay to have sex and gave me a pill so I don't get pregnant" Also so they don't want these kids getting pregnant what about the multipal flavors of STD's out there, those must be okay I guess. They are talking about the pill not condoms and condoms slip off or tear so even if they were giving that out too not very effective. Why don't they just randomly inject time with the std of thier choice? Oh and I noticed it said nothing about dosing out antibiotics for all those std's. Is this a school system or a public health facility? Come on?

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Postby Frustrated » Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:42 pm

I think most Schools are starting to become like a health facility, or a brainwashing government location area for Children. It is supposed to be a place of learning, but it is much more than that. They even do Immunziation Shots right at the Schools, they even do dental checks....they have CPS workers there at the School-they even have their own office in these schools, and the list goes on and on...Schools are also a place of kidnapping of
CPS's choice. And now this? pretty insane, what's next? teaching children how to go for War in Iraq? That's what's coming to our country of today. This is it.
It is easy to steal from poor people. But don't do it. And don't take advantage of those poor people in court. The Lord is on their side. He supports them and he will take things away from any person that takes from them.~ Proverbs 22:22

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Postby debbiescalese » Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:49 pm

I'll sum it up for you
Too much government inter"fear"ance in the adverage persons life!
Parents don't raise kids these days in fact they may think they do they may think they have a say but even if your not involved in a cps case the government has "legal custody" so to speak of your kids. It is just not official yet. I'm not anti gov but at some point they crossed the line and everyone suffers. Wonder what the signers of the constitution would say about all this.

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Postby Frustrated » Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:03 pm

I am sure the Consitution Signers will have something to say on this. Especially forcing 11 yrs old child to take birth control pills at Schools. Oh sorry, forgot it, "OFFERED" to kids but then again, does that sound familiar when CPS "OFFERED" Services to families just when it is voluntary? So is it voluntary for the 11 yrs old to take pills or does that require parental permission to do so?

Sure is term catchy right there. What happens if the girl won't take it? What would the consquences would be?
Gee I wonder....
Would the School call CPS if the pre teen is not taking the pill?
Sounds strikingly similar to those children who are NOT CURRENT UP TO DATE WITH MMR Immunizations shots!! If the kid is not up to date, Schools will have no choice but call up CPS on this one. I wonder if they will put all of these in their criterias to call CPS if the pre teen is having sex and not taking the pill?
Try forcing the girl to take it is "unconsitutional".
It is easy to steal from poor people. But don't do it. And don't take advantage of those poor people in court. The Lord is on their side. He supports them and he will take things away from any person that takes from them.~ Proverbs 22:22

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Postby Momoffor » Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:34 pm

I saw this on Fox News yesturday morning and not sure if its the same type of pacakge that they are handing out at the school or not, but they filmed a package that contained the day after pill and a pregnancy test.

Personally, I would hope that my daughter and I have an open enough relationship that she could come to me and tell me these things.

I wouldnt be happy about it, but I would prefer my daughter being able to make an intelligent decision from an ignorant one. Meaning, if she makes the ignorant choice to have sex, I pray that she is smart enough to prevent herself from unwanted pregnancy.

HOWEVER, I keep VERY close tabs on my kids so I dont know how 11-13 year old girls are even getting the opportunity to even have sex to begin with. Where the hell are their parents???!!!

The best friend of a co workers daughter just turned 14 two months ago and is 6 months pregnant. She was a good kid, on the honor roll ect. Now, she is another statistic who wasted thier future and life.

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Postby debbiescalese » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:52 am

Momoffor you wrote:

"The best friend of a co workers daughter just turned 14 two months ago and is 6 months pregnant. She was a good kid, on the honor roll ect. Now, she is another statistic who wasted thier future and life."

that statement was very offencive to me and any mother who got pregnant at a young age and did have a happy, successful life. My mom what 15 when she got pregnant, I wen't to private catholic schools as well as my sister who what born just 4 years later. I have a wonderful mom who was able to acomplish everything she set out to do. She lives in a 4 bdrm 2 1/2 bath new colonial in an upper middleclass section of NJ. Drives a lexus and has more money than she knows what to do with. Now that her kids are out of the house she spends time traveling. My parents have also been married for 31 years and consider eachother best friends not just married. They have a happier healthier relationship than most couples I know and are even by cps standards good parents (never once dealt with them personally) This may not be the norm but it most certianly happens. I would not prefer my kids got pregnant that young but if it happend it would not be the end of the childs world nor would it "ruin her life" it would just make it a little more difficult. If this 14 year old girl has people gossiping about her and telling her she just ruined her life and nobody supporting her then she didn't ruin her life the people around her that didn't support her and tell her she still be successful did. The 14 year old who got pregnant and had a good support system usually does well in life and the child benifits. The reason the stats on this topic state she will do bad is because the lack of supervision this child had in the first place lead to lack of support during and after birth. My mom had lack of supervision leading to the problem but when the pregnancy was discovered she had tons of support and love, that made all the difference.

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Postby katgotsteve » Fri Oct 19, 2007 3:38 am

on another note to this topic, not all parents are in their child's life, not all parents care. there are middle school girls in my area that are on thier second or third pregnancy. some girls have been so neglected in their lives that they think sex is the way of love. i think if a child has already had a child, she should be on birth control and the fact that so many children are having children, there should be options for them, if they dont tell their parents, then that means to me that the parents do care and the children are scared or sneaking around, but the main question is this, if a 11/12/13 y/o is having sex, where the hell are the parents? i think that is neglectful by itself and if any of us had this going on, cps would be breathing down our necks.
my mom has custody of niece now, all my niece talks about is having sex and getting pregnant, she is now 13, my mom is going to put her on b/c becuase she doesnt want any greatgrandbabies and my niece does not have the though capacity to actually think this through. her thoughts are something along the lines of, i am going to have all my kids before i leave for college so my mama and grandma can raise them, but alot of kids think like this, she wants 3 or 4 of them, so that means she plans on starting this year so she can have at least one a year. this to me is really scary.

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Postby Frustrated » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:28 pm

That is really "good" question, where were their parents who supposedly have watched the kids?

Maybe they did. It just these pre-teens are finding ways where to bunk up with their boyfriends such as other places like behind the school, park bathrooms, even at the parks, god forbid probaby in the bushes. It is the teen who has been irresponsible and neglect to herself, not listening to the parent who has already gave them the speeches. It is the boyfriends that woo's them. You cannot really stop them but you can try prevent them from having sex in your own home, but that would push them to somewhere to have sex. Same for parents trying to prevent the teens from smoking, and they just will do it "elsewhere". The parents has done their jobs, they did watch the teens, but when you tell them "no", they will just do it somewhere else.

But the question has to beg the question which is really good question:

Are these teens too young as 11 yrs old to be on birth control and does that invites them to have more sex elsewhere?

How old do you think teens should be on it?

I think it has to depend on the "understanding" of the child, if she understands the risks, and understands about pregnancy, and all about sex and it depends on their responsibility level. I agree with momoffor: TALK with your Child, and have an open and HONEST conversation with your child without being upset or angry. Be more understanding and talk about the "risks" and "what happens if they don't protect themselves" from A to Z's. If you hide the topics and hope they don't find out, believe me the teens are very intelligent, they know what sex is. It depends on their brains, do they really grasp the concept of responsibility, or do they DO NOT UNDERSTAND?

I agree that if the child has already birthed one baby, she should be on birth control until she becomes responsible adult. But then again, it all DEPENDS on THEIR MATURITY LEVELS! I have seen many girls that are really mature, and can do it really well. I have a Neice that got her first child when she was 15, and today she has 3 children now, and to age 21. She is opting for College, she has completed her High School and she did very well with these 3 children on her own, with help from her Mother of course, and her partner. She went for the services to learn all about babies and how to raise them. She did very well.

My Mother was 16 when she got married and got first child. It is all about maturity. If they are not mature and irresponsible, then Yes, put them on birth control to prevent pregnancy. But 11 yrs old, is not what you look for maturity level, it would be toward up to 15 to 16.

I think it is all about the "Age" and "Maturity Level" and how the parents need to know how to talk to Teens about sex and prevent pregnancy. If you talk with the child, if they understood about the risks, then it is not always "where were the parents?" The teens goes somewhere else and does it. That's the problem.
It is easy to steal from poor people. But don't do it. And don't take advantage of those poor people in court. The Lord is on their side. He supports them and he will take things away from any person that takes from them.~ Proverbs 22:22

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Postby Momoffor » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:52 pm

as I wrote that it was a waste of her life. You dont know her story and I dont wish to share it .....It wasnt meant toward anyone but her and nowhere in there did I state that EVERYONE who becomes pregant young wastes their life. Once again, no one knows her story and its not my place to share it.

You took offense to nothing unless you know specifically what I am talking about. Which you do not.

Do I think that my daughter would ruin her life by becoming pregnant when she is still middle school age? or high school? HELL YA. What other people choose to do with thier own lives is thier thing. But my daughter and I talk about how something like that can and will destroy every hope and dream that she is seeking in the near future, and that it will ruin her young life before she ever really gets to 'live' it. BUT that is how I am raising my daughter and those are MY opinons based on the friends that I once had in high school who dropped out to have babies and are STILL 15+ years later are still on welfare, foodstamps, ect and even with working cant manage to get by without government assistance because they lack EDUCATION.

Not everyones parents accept a teenage pregancy with open arms.

Before you stated ""Hey cool, my school says its okay to have sex and gave me a pill so I don't get pregnant" ......

And in another you condone it by saying its ok if they get pregnant, I did it, so did your grandma, we will give you all the support you need" ...what other mix do you need in the lethal cocktail to let a child know or think its ok to go ahead and get pregnant?

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Postby debbiescalese » Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:45 am

Momoffor you stated "And in another you condone it by saying its ok if they get pregnant" at what point did I condone it? I said it is manageable and not the end of the world if they get pregnant! They don't have to throw away thier life because of a pregnancy. If the girl your talking about waisted her life because of it and granted I don't know the detail, somebody let her throw away her life somebody didn't make her go to school, somebody didn't support her.
When your raising children situations come up and they range from just the "stupid mistake" to "life altering mistakes" You as a parent may not always love the action of your child but you always love your child! You cannot prevent your child from making mistakes all you can do is support them as they take the consequences for thier actions and controle the damage the best you can.

Kids no matter how close they are watched will find oppertunity to do something they aren't suppose to. For years I have watched the woman across the street from me go everywhere with her teen daughter this is one mom who could not be accused of neglect of supervision. Yet her daughter some how found a way to have sex. She also has talked with her daughter about sex, I talked with her daughter about sex, yet she did it. During this girls pregnancy scare her mom was pissed, but on the other hand she had full intentions of forcing this kid to go to school, and making her work, but she did offer help in taking care of the infant. She wasn't pregnant and at that point she took the child to get birthcontrole but she was prepaird for the worst and hoped for the best. Now she is watching her daugher even more carfully to prevent the sex from happening but she did put her on birthcontrole just in case she misses something. She did not say here is the birth controle go have sex. That is the message the school is sending by providing birthcontrole for children at that young an age with no supervision as to one if they will take it and two not taking the steps to prevent them from having sex in the first place. The school can't give that kind of supervision theirfore should not be despencing the meds in the first place. That type of supervision is the responcibility of parents, relatives, neighbors, and friends not a school or government. Yes as Hillary states "It takes a village to raise a child" not a government not a school and not the village idiot either but the people of the community are the eyes and ears for the parents when the parents can't be there.

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Postby Frustrated » Sun Oct 21, 2007 3:43 pm

I wonder as I thought about the question for a while, I wondered if this would become CPS Case for protection of a child who becomes pregnant or the parent has forced the child to have birth control to "prevent" pregnancy or that the child was too young to take it which has damaged her health (side effects etc). Would this involve a CPS case in need of protection for the children ages 11 to 15? Do they get involved? or do they mind their own business?

I think it all depends on the doctor, who would examine the child (health, physical and mentally) and if he sees something wrong with the child, he has to by LAW to report to CPS. or some one like the School would call it in. (highly possible)

It is a good question, because does this fall into their criteria for an investigation, and becomes a CPS Case? or not?
It is easy to steal from poor people. But don't do it. And don't take advantage of those poor people in court. The Lord is on their side. He supports them and he will take things away from any person that takes from them.~ Proverbs 22:22

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Postby Momoffor » Sun Oct 21, 2007 6:42 pm

Why would CPS get involved with that...Afterall, thats where they are getting a good protion of their 'profits'.

When I was in high school, I watched a movie at my friends house that was called something 'nun'. It was set to where the rich people would have the poor women as the baby makers. The men would impregnant the 'servants' who would in turn have the children and the rich family would then take the child away and raise it as their own. None of the aristocratic women did the whole pregnancy child birth thing. It was left to the "nferiors"to do the breeding part.

Everytime I think of CPS I get to thinking about that movie.

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Postby Frustrated » Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:26 am

I think the only way CPS will get involved that is when a doctor, school or a proifiteer would call it in (for Adoptions) or a disgruntled relative. Other than that, if no calls, there will be no involvements.

But one would think the CPS would love to get a hold of the baby to put it up to Adoption is sickening. I have seen that happen once or twice years ago. But you are right, anything could happen.

I think the Teen would be very grateful when her mother and father would be there to support her. I think that would be best support there is. I would consider that to be very very lucky. Because that does not happen with the others, because they would be out of the door.
It is easy to steal from poor people. But don't do it. And don't take advantage of those poor people in court. The Lord is on their side. He supports them and he will take things away from any person that takes from them.~ Proverbs 22:22


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