How do you feel about birth control for middle schoolers?

Question

the plan to offer birth control at a middle school in maine has sparked quite a bit of controversy among parents, teachers, etc. how do you feel about the issue?

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3784169&page=1

Answer 1

Given that it is absolutely impossible to prevent teenagers from having sex, the issue for me is harm minimization which consists of good education and making contraceptives freely available.

*Edit* I have read your article now, and I see the fuss. The law should stay the heck out of doctor/patient confidentiality. It is crystal clear to me that those laws have been imposed to appease the Christian Right, and have nothing whatsoever to do with the best interests of children. Some people will stop at nothing to win a few votes, no matter who is hurt.

Answer 2

Sonali has it right. Eleven year old girls, or 13 or 14 year old girls for that matter don't just wake up one day and decide to have sex. Often they are molested by older males, not their middle school peers. We are in a state of denial that this doesn't happen that my uncle, brother, father can't be doing this. The kids have nowhere to turn. If they tell, they're breaking up the family or putting some "promising" young man in jail. Remember the flak on the media about the young guy who video taped a 15 year old girl having sex with him and numerous friends of his and how a long jail sentence was unjust? Well, this guy probably had sex with more than one underage girl and just got caught with this one. And taped it no less. No one was talking about the harm done to the girl. Whether she did this willingly should not enter the discussion. She was used, disrespected even willingly this should not happen to one so young. Same goes for the boys. They are molested and people think that they "got lucky." So the harmful stereotypes happen in those situations as well. It is another manifestation of the societal insanity.

Answer 3

is this not just another case of "looking for the answer in a pill" philosophy? (looking for the "easy" answer ... just like magic pills for weight loss, life extension, bigger breasts/penises, more intelligence ...)

sure, for the most part those other pills do not work (and b.c. probably does it taken correctly and consistenlty ... which you have to ask yourself if most m. school kids will be able to do that if they do not have enough common sense and self control to abstain)

I think if you look hard, someone in the middle of that decision has the type of personality that likes to generate controversy ... someone who has to do something to grab the spotlight (ever wonder what happens to the class clown when they get older?)

the argument that you have to help those kids who will inevitabley have sex too young (the world will never be perfect ... there will always be idiots) while appealing to the heart should not appeal to the head. while I will not argue that having a child at that age is reasonable (no doubt there are people who have children young and it acutally makes them grow up into responsible adults fast), simply handing over contraceptives like candy is unlikely to make these kids any more productive and responsible citizens tomorrow.

what ever happened to parents and laying down some ground rules for kids? sure, some of these kids come from disfunctional homes ... and that is probably exactly where they are heading back to if they are having sex this young.

the key is you have to sit back and do what is best for society as a whole ... hopefully you can help individuals that are going to get into trouble, but if you drop to their level to solve the problem, in the end all you will do is more people down (rather than up).

would anybody argue that since some kids are going to do meth come what may (lets talk hard drugs, the soft drugs is less clear cut) that we should somehow provide supervised access to them so that we can help them as they get into trouble? while having a child is not a death sentence like meths ... the same principle applies ...

Answer 4

I have a 14 year old daughter who has recently told me she just lost her virginity to a 17 year old at her high school. (She's in the 9th grade, he's a senior.) She also tells me that all of her friends are "doing it." As a parent, I'm disturbed by this, but I can't hide from the fact that it's happening. Most kids don't voluntarily share this kind of information with their parents, either. I'm lucky that I know what's happening. I've been pondering getting her on the pill. I've talked to her about sex, and it's consequences, it's not like she doesn't know. But I fear she will continue to do it anyway, so the best way I can see to protect her is to make birth control available to her and make sure she uses it. I'm thinking she should have the shot, so that she can't forget to take her pill and end up pregnant that way. I also want her to use condoms to protect herself from STD's. Whether you think it's right or wrong for teens to have sex doesn't mean they won't do it, or that pregnancy won't occur. You can't be there 24/7 to stop someone from having sex. It only takes a few minutes, and pregnancy can happen even if you only have sex one time. (I know someone this has happened to.) Better to be safe than sorry.

Thanks to everyone who's answered your question here, I feel more secure in my decision to get my daughter the protection she needs. Your question gets a "star" from me.

EDIT: What's surprising to me is how some of your answerers here think that denying birth control to someone who's already sexually active is somehow going to make that person stop having sex. Which doesn't make a lick of sense. They are already doing it without birth control. If they cared about safety enough to abstain, it wouldn't be an issue, now would it? Should we refuse to protect our young in "hope" that they will abstain? Is it reasonable to think that we have that much control over our kids' lives? It would be grand if that were true. If we had that much control our kids would never try drugs. They'd always do what we tell them. They'd never do anything rebellious. How darn realistic is THAT?

Answer 5

Even though I am aware that kids that young are sexually active I don't believe they should have access that young. When an adult goes to their doctor to get birth control the doctor normally will do an exam, along with blood work to be sure you can take them. Kids at school won't have that and there are some people who shouldn't take the pills, and require different types of birth control.

Answer 6

Unfortunately, if kids that young are having sex, there is a need for birth control. Hiding our heads in the sand in the hopes that the issue will just go away is silly. Until we can figure out how to keep kids that young from having sex, there needs to be a back-up plan. When sex education and abstinence education fails, I'd rather kids protect themselves from unwanted pregancies.

Answer 7

I live in an area where teen pregnancy is rampant. I don't like having birth control being available in schools but I think the alternative of teen pregnancy and dropping out of school is much worse so I'm willing to support having birth control available if it can reduce teen pregnancy rates.

Answer 8

I never thought I would need to answer a question like this but IF kids are going to have sex, and I guess from reading the many articles about it, they are, then seeing that a cork won't work then something should be done so they don't get pregnant. Problem to me is that they will think that is saying it is OK but hey they do it already.

Answer 9

Would anyone rather that they be parents? The proposal of birth control is based on the fact that these kids are in fact having sex. And the fact also remains these kids CAN GET PREGNANT. So, let's deal with reality here. If you think kids don't have the maturity to have sex, do you think they have the maturity to have kids? How many parents of 13 year olds are looking forward to being grandparents, before their kids are in High School?

Just wondering?
Shingoshi Dao

Answer 10

Considering all of the STD's now days.. I feel condoms are the best choice to teach young people! (even double condoms) In my opinion if they are offered & taught that it is okay to use other methods prior to maturing enough to make educated descisions & get tested for diseases with out parental assistance or consent. The pill, the patch, the sponge or an IUD etc. will encourage them to have sex without condoms and could be more of a health risk to the young person.