Birth Control for Kids?
October 18, 2007 by Mommy Zabs
Filed under Children, Current Events
Are you serious? Did anyone else catch this story on FoxNews? Apparently giving students birth control subscriptions is being considered at a Middle School in Maine. Do people really not see how far across the line this goes? Is it even healthy to give a child that young hormones?
According to the article,
The Portland School Committee will weigh the proposal Wednesday, which would enable students at King Middle School to obtain the pill.
Under the plan, King would become the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available to students in sixth through eighth grades, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
“This is a proposal we have been working on for six months,” Douglas S. Gardner, the director of Portland’s health and human services department, said in a statement. “It came about from kids self reporting that they were sexually active.
“Clearly they are too young to be engaged in sexual intercourse, but the reality is that they are sexually active,” he said. “It is our responsibility to offer a full range of primary care services to students. Fortunately it’s a small number.”
Did I miss something? Talk to me parents of children older than mine, when did one of the school’s primary functions become offering primary care? Sounds like socialized medicine to me. The article goes on to say,
“This is a service that is totally needed,” Rowe said. “It’s about very few kids, but they are kids who don’t have the same opportunities and access as other students.”
King’s health center, which opened in 2000, already provides condoms as part of its reproductive health program. Prescription birth control, such as pills or patches, would be prescribed after a physical examination by a physician or nurse practitioner, said Lisa Belanger, who oversees Portland’s student health centers.
What comes next? When will the schools begin providing abortions too? After all, I am sure they think the school has a responsibility to make sure young girls are not having babies because it increases their chances of dropping out. Truthfully, I’m sick of this progression. Someone stop the insanity- please?
Just Mom on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 9:39 am
oh. my. word.
Jen @ JenuineJen on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 9:44 am
This is so disgusting! I bet those same children are not allowed even take an asprin or tylenol at school but the school can give them drugs. I want to be shocked by this but it does not surprise me that much.
missy on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 9:47 am
Sigh. Yes, I did see this and I am speechless. There are some seriously confused people out there if they think they can prescribe ANY medication to my daughter without my permission!!!
Every single day, I am more convinced I’ll end up homeschooling forever. It was never my intention, but I just can’t see myself bringing that kind of disturbed reality into her life in just a couple very short years! Even if SHE isn’t choosing birth control at age 11, what if her friends are?! I can’t imagine the conversations they’d be having….oh yeah, I am SO not ready for that reality.
We (as a society) encourage our young girls to dress as hookers, read books (Gossip Girl series among others) and watch shows (almost any PG-13 movie) featuring sex and drugs, and now we’re going to provide them parental-free birth control at age 11…..are we honestly even hoping for virtue any longer??? When did it become a foregone conclusion that virtue doesn’t continue past puberty?
Sorry to go long. I guess I’m not speechless after all, I could probably fill a book with my disgust at this type of thing. We are heading down a scary path and I’m unsure how to stop it honestly. Prayer. That is one thing I’ll be doing! A whole stinking lot of prayer.
Jessica on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 10:12 am
I was just about to blog about this….it was on the Today show too!
Lynnae @ From Under the Clutter on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 10:16 am
I saw this too. Disgusting. I hate how my rights as a parent are continually being stripped away and given to the “village”.
My 9 year old daughter is in public school, and we are fortunate to live in a very good, and reasonable, school district. If they ever did anything like this, I would homeschool in a heartbeat.
And Missy - there’s actually a series of books called the Gossip Girls? Good Grief!
Karen on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 11:18 am
Oh my! And yet another reason I’m thankful we homeschool!
I was listening to a recent Manic Mommies podcast. They interviewed one of the authors of a new book “Restless Virgins.” Oh MY! I can’t believe what is going on in the schools these days. I’d love to actually read the book, but I’m afraid it would make me want to scream. But it would DEFINATELY solidify my committment to homeschooling!
missy on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 12:58 pm
Lynnae,
Yes, sadly. They are actually very popular. There is now a television show based on the books. Next time you’re at a bookstore, check out the ‘teen’ section. It is absolutely astonishing what they are peddling to these kids!
MamaLady on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 2:22 pm
Did you spew out your cereal too this morning while watching the news?! This is incredible!
I’m sure there will be a rash of families taking their kids out of this school system to homeschool.
Glad to know I’m not the only one that thought this is insane. What will California do if this is in Maine. They have to keep up, you know!
LayGuy on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 7:32 pm
Zabs - that’s just wrong. It seems as if the extreme left is taking over the States. Have a look at this article for another crazy example:
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58130
meridith on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 10:41 pm
yuck. i can’t possibly imagine that taking birth control pills at that age could possibly be healthy for a girl’s reproductive system much less her pysche!
Mommy Zabs on Thu, 18th Oct 2007 11:02 pm
well i feel a whole lot better knowing many of you were outraged as well. LG- the one encouraging thing is that Maine is one of our more socially progressive areas… so fortunately they do not speak for most the nation. but if what goes on there and cali is a prediction of the heartland in 10 years, then we are in trouble! God’s grace I’m wrong!
I still don’t know what we are going to do for school though i lean toward homeschooling. first they try and tell us it takes a village to raise a child (sometimes it does when the right set of parents aren’t in the picture or one parent is alone), but for the rest of us it does not take a village. Now the village wants to take more and more of our parental authority away! It is one thing to provide things for those in need, but to take away from parents willing and able to parent their children.
SO SO Frustrating
momlovesbeingathome on Sat, 20th Oct 2007 3:50 pm
It is so appalling I don’t even know what to say anymore. I just thank God for the privilege of homeschooling.
dee on Sun, 21st Oct 2007 2:59 pm
I just read a very insightful commentary on this birth control to kids topic.
i think you will find int intersting here is the link
http://joeleonardi.wordpress.com/2007/10/21/birth-control-for-children/
Weekly Best Blogs - Jen’s Blog Roundup « Jen’s Genuine Life on Sun, 21st Oct 2007 9:39 pm
[...] things I heard this week was a news article Mommy Zabs blogged about. I cannot believe a school system is thinking of giving birth control pills to children in 6th - 8th grade. I wonder if these same children in are even allowed to take aspirin or [...]