11Yr Old Girls Given Birth Control Patches?

[Richard]

by David Gutierrez

(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.

http://www.naturalnews.com/022934.html

[greatkate_8]

In the past though, has there been a problem with how young people deal with sex? What has changed between then and now? The only difference is media. If kids weren't being exposed to sex at such a young age none of this would even be a problem. For christ's sakes, I had no idea what sex was until middle school, let alone the actions required. This wasn't too long ago. America's only problem is depleting morals. Agree?

[Astrojewels]

I agree that the media plays a large role in this problem, but the major problem is the parents, where are they? Where are their 11 yr old daughters, I have two daughters and one will be 11 this year, and she still thinks boys have germs! Would I even consider her to be given contraceptive, no way! What for? If they did this without my knowledge there would be dire consequences.
Parents need to be educated, this is a topic that can create awkwardness, parents have never known how to ‘have that talk’ in the past and as we boom technologically, parents still don’t know how to sit down and talk openly about things. So kids are taught through the web, friends who know as little as they do, and magazines etc.
Children must feel they can talk with their parents without judgment; this is not easy but can be done, I have a very connected understanding with both my daughters.

[Tyson]

it is the media but when i was really young way younger than 11 i was explorative with a female so i found out on my own. but i do agree with the media being the cause of it also alot of parents