Birth control pill to 11 year olds in Maine?

Question

I do not want some school official to give my daughter birth control w/o my knowledge. I can’t imagine how this could happen.

My niece's father is dying of cancer. Her school councilor says she can't discuss grief issues, only educ issues with her. At 11 she can’t go to the school councilor for grief & trauma over losing a father in 6 mo BUT she is old enough for the school to give her birth control?

So few schools teach reading, writing, math and science, instead they focus on "feel good" crap. Maybe if schools went back to being educational institutions instead of trying to be a friend, we would have fewer 11 year olds getting preg.

Also, how stupid would a parent look if they take the kid to the dr. & they didn't know the kid was on the pill? What if the kid develops diabetes or is taking meds that reduce the effectiveness of the pill?

This makes me furious.

Link http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071018/ap_on_re_us/middle_school_contraceptives_6

"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."

"Contraception would be prescribed after a physical examination by a physician or nurse practitioner, Belanger said.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=140910&ac=PHnws&pg=2

Types of prescription birth control available through the health centers include contraceptive pills, patches or injections, as well as the morning-after pill. Diaphragms and IUDs are not usually prescribed, she said.

Belanger said health center workers encourage students to tell their parents about their health center experiences, but by law they cannot compel students to do so or inform parents without the student's consent.

Answer 1

I am not opposed to schools offering preventive measures.....but the pill? I don't even take the pill because I worry about the effects of hormones on my body and their connection to cancers and other health problems. How would the pill effect the growth and development of a girl that young? Not to mention, wouldn't the pill cut down on condom use, which would help the spread of STDs. Why is a pill the answer to everything these days. I would never allow my child to be on the pill.

Answer 2

"I do not want some school official to give my daughter birth control w/o my knowledge. I can’t imagine how this could happen." - It can't. Birth control pills require a prescription from a doctor. As such they can only be "given out" by a licensed pharmacy.

"My niece's father is dying of cancer. Her school councilor says she can't discuss grief issues, only educ issues with her." - Sounds like that counselor is there to help students with acedemics and is not a greif counselor or other mental heath professional. As such, it is best that the counselor avoid those issues.

"At 11 she can’t go to the school councilor for grief & trauma over losing a father in 6 mo BUT she is old enough for the school to give her birth control?" - See my first comments.

"So few schools teach reading, writing, math and science, instead they focus on "feel good" crap." - Not sure what you are basing this statement on. The current complaint of the schools is that they are required to "teach the test" for the tests mandated by the "No child left behind act" and various state required tests. These tests concentrate on reading, writing, math and science.

"Maybe if schools went back to being educational institutions instead of trying to be a friend, we would have fewer 11 year olds getting preg." - If we had more parents trying to be parents instead of friends we would have fewer pregnancies by 11 & 12 year olds and teens.

"Also, how stupid would a parent look if they take the kid to the dr. & they didn't know the kid was on the pill?" & "What if the kid develops diabetes or is taking meds that reduce the effectiveness of the pill?" - This drives home my issue with the parents. If their child has seen a doctor behind their back, got a prescription, obtained the pills from a pharmacy and successfully hidden them at home I think the parents are more to blame than the school that is not involved.

Answer 3

I'm just now hearing about this. I don't have all the facts but I would hope the pill issuers would have access to the kid's medical records. They would have to know what other meds the kid is on.

I agree that it is a sad state of affairs when the schools have to do the parents' job. But apparently parents are not educating their children about the birds and the bees , and they are denying that their children are sexually active. I also agree with you that in many schools today we are not really teaching anything and our test scores prove this. I would support any program where parents take control of their children once again, where we actually go back to teaching. I know in Delaware, we play these games where a certain percentage of kids have to pass and a certain have to flunk. Very few flunk because the schools and teachers can be sued. We lower standards to keep everybody "on board". I really don't have any answers. All I can say, is "I feel your pain".

Answer 4

Schools have seem to have become nothing but breeding and socializing grounds than that of education and prepping for real world. It is sad to see how far the schools have gone now. Some schools grade backwards where a F is good and A is bad so students do not feel bad and get "low self esteem" due to seeing an F. Other schools do not grade in red ink because red ink apparently lowers confidence and self esteem of the child. They do not say grades out loud so it will not ruin the image, reputation or esteem of the child, so it is said in private. IT IS SICKENING! TELL THE STUDENT THEY ARE FAILING! STOP CODDLING AND GET TOUGH!

No wonder kids are so weak nowadays! They are treated like babies and go into the real world like babies! Thinking they will have everything handed to them, or be given some slack since they went through school with a lot of slack: extra credit to make up for failing grades, open note/book tests, and so much more schools do to coddle students. I hate it! I am glad I am not in school now. No wonder kids are so confused nowadays. At age 11 instead of reading novels, learning American/World history and multiplication and division; they are instead learning about sex and birth control. I am glad I had a nun that was tough as nails on me, even though I did not like it at the time, I always thought she was unfair to me. But in the end, with her yelling at me and "being mean" as I always thought, I am glad for it. I am feeling she is a dying breed of teachers. Sad.

You think the pill is bad. Some schools have therapists come in and question kindergarten children and then say if they are gay or not. I remember it made a fuss when it first came about so I do not know if this still goes on or not anymore. I know I would be angry if some therapist came in, question my child and then say if they are gay or not!

Ah this world today! Backwards!

Answer 5

I would like to know if my daughter thought she couldn't come to me, there is someone she could go to. I would rather her be on the pill than having a baby at 11 or any other age before she is married and ready. My daughter is still an infant so that is a long way away for me. But I have a 13 year old sister,and from what her friends are saying kids are "doing it" a lot earlier these days.

Answer 6

They're doing similar things at middle schools in my area(Los Angeles County, Ca.). The district is letting middle school students leave campus to get bc, or certain testings(std, pregnancy, and bc for guys or girls, etc.) without parental consent. It's not right, and I agree with you.
What if the child should have a medical emergency, while on the pill, and take a medication which will react to it? The parents wouldn't know! Or, what if on the way to the clinic, the child should become hurt? Then the parents may be notified?
It's all just a bunch of B.S if you ask me.
Children have parents for a reason, let the parents decide what is best for their children!
Or at the very least, let the schools educate, not instigate!

Answer 7

And just how wonderful does the parent look when everyone finds out their 11 y.o. daughter is knocked up??? The problem is too many parents AREN'T taking responsibility for their kids, leaving everything up to the school. It is the school board that approved this, is it not? What is the school board made up of? I thought traditionally it was parents of children within the district?

And with regards to not teaching anything...I don't know how it is in your state, but I've heard plenty about mine. All these tests they have to take now, tests to advance to the next grade, tests to graduate; performance on these tests determine what school gets money and what school gets money taken away. So what happens? Teachers teach to the tests, that's it. Definitely not how it was when I was in school, I think this form of testing started after I was already almost done or done. But that's what's happening - they're teaching specifically to the material they know will be on those standardized tests so that the students perform better and the school gets more money.

Answer 8

Well--this is the logical consequence of policies like "No Child Left Behind." You can't institute policies that turn our schools into a bureaucratic agency for indoctrinating our young people ("what the government decides they should learn") and not expect the project of social control to stop with a few multiple choice tests.

NOT that this is all the conservatives fault. It s not. But what they did do is take away local control of our schools--and turn the administration of individual school systems and classrooms over to a body of "educators" who are not accountable to anyone. And thee is an equally extremist faux-liberal ideology among many teachers. Put the two together--and this is what you get.

Now--if you really want something to get mad about--recent studies are showing that around 20% of schoolchildren are molested by teachers at some point in their school years.

And nothing is going to get done to change this. why? Because we need a bipartisan effort to clean up our schools and turn them back into educational institutions--not indoctrinateion ceners for a real-life version of "Brave New World." and that means dropping the ideology and the blame game. And--I do knodw many decent teachers and educators--conservative and liberal--who want to do jsut that. The problem--and I hate to make this partisan, but there's no avoiding this--the right wing is not going to do that. They rant, and accuse, and point fingers. the only thing they do otherwise is block any attempt at fixing the system.

If you're conservative, I'm sorry if that offends you. MOst conservatives are not to blame--but your leaders and the extremists are. Time you woke up to what they are doing.

Answer 9

It's a violation of the 1st amendment since it is the duty of parents to raise their children as they see fit, and by supplying birth control without knowledge of the parents the school is endorsing the religious and moral code of secularism. It also is another step in making children property of the state; jsut look at a lot of state and federal laws involving school; each simply takes more authority from the parents and allows the school personnel to overrule them in some case.

Where I live a lot of boys are needed in the fall to help with farm work. Guess what, the state banned leaving due to that now, so parents must either break the law or lie in order to get their sons out of school. Give me a break.

Answer 10

BC pills require a parents permission.