Property taxes now go to offering contraceptives to 11 year olds (Portland: middle school, college)

[Maine Writer]

How about an appointment with the school guidance counselor or psychologist? I'd rather have these children, boys included, get the care they need to deal with their sexual activity at such a young age. The pill isn't going to protect any of these kids from HIV, AIDS and STDs.

The pill is a patch on the Hoover. It doesn't help them deal with the emotional aspects of sexuality. They need to take care of the whole picture not just hand out birth control to kids. I hope the doctors treating these kids are doing something more for them than giving them pills.

[Parrotpaul]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Neither is a great choice really. You have to continue with the latter choice though, you left out the other half of it. It should read; or a young girl leading a risky life style but having access to birth control without judgement, punishment, reprisal, or responsibility for her actions? While still continuing in a risky lifestyle that the option of birth control pills doesn't cover the real possibility of contracting AIDS, or entering into desperate destructive relationships.

That is the whole story. Without education on outcomes, throwing a band-aid solution over the problem doesn't make it go away, it just hides it for a while. This is a band-aid solution to a very real problem that runs deeper than a few kids having sex at an early age. Another case of taking the easy way out of something without taking a real look at what is going on.

All very true, but if birth control pills help to keep a young girl from becoming pregnant, and if the health care professional reinforces the need for her partner (s) to use condoms and for both of them to take every precaution they can to prevent disease and pregnancy, the system has probably taken giant steps to prevent problems with girls who make decisions to have sex at such a young age.

Kids have always had sex, and it doesn't appear they will stop any time soon. For those practicing at risk behaviors and not having the leadrship and support of pro-active parents, probably the best we can do is provide birth control and counsel them about keeping clean and the methods for preventing disease.

I support the PSC and the State for making this decision. I was a teacher in a Portland HS for 25 years. I do know what goes on with teens, and there are many who do not get the necessary support at home to know that at risk sexual behavior benefits no one.

You contend this is a band-aid approach to a much deeper problem. If so, this problem has been around for thousands of years. What is your suggestion for addressing that problem? Would you rather young teen age girls get pregnant?

[Parrotpaul]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

How about an appointment with the school guidance counselor or psychologist? I'd rather have these children, boys included, get the care they need to deal with their sexual activity at such a young age. The pill isn't going to protect any of these kids from HIV, AIDS and STDs.

The pill is a patch on the Hoover. It doesn't help them deal with the emotional aspects of sexuality. They need to take care of the whole picture not just hand out birth control to kids. I hope the doctors treating these kids are doing something more for them than giving them pills.

Condoms are available for boys, and I think we all probably need to assume before pills are given to young girls and condoms are given to young boys, appropriate counseling and information is shared with these young people so they make more informed decisions about their sexual lives.

If these items are simply handed out like white lined paper, the issue needs to be addressed. I have been closely acquainted with the health care professional at one of the local high schools. I can vouch that this person is a highly educated professional Registered Nurse who is profoundly interested in the health and welfare of the kids she attends, and their well-being is at the very top of her prioroity list.

Parents of those at risk kids should sleep a little more soundly at night knowing there are trained professionals who ensure their kids are protected against disease, and if the need is there, protected against unwanted pregnancies.

If parents would provide the leadership and love their kids seek through at risk behavior, we wouldn't be discussing this issue. We also have to realize many kids are sexually involved with others even though sexual intercourse is not a part of their behavior. Oral sex, mutual masturbation, and even anal sex have become "safe" alternatives to the more risky sexual intercourse...at least the kids think those behaviors are safer. That said...no one gets pregnant if no one has intercourse.

[DavidoftheNorth]

How about castrating the 12 year old boy, in public without anaesthesia?

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Parrotpaul

All very true, but if birth control pills help to keep a young girl from becoming pregnant, and if the health care professional reinforces the need for her partner (s) to use condoms and for both of them to take every precaution they can to prevent disease and pregnancy, the system has probably taken giant steps to prevent problems with girls who make decisions to have sex at such a young age.

There are a lot more questions here than sound answers. IF b.c. pills help... IF the health care professionals... There are no solid answers, because we are looking at it from the outside, and the newspaper article and CNN report sure didn't give answers to these questions. Until the questions are answered, it is a BAD decision.

Kids have always had sex, and it doesn't appear they will stop any time soon. For those practicing at risk behaviors and not having the leadrship and support of pro-active parents, probably the best we can do is provide birth control and counsel them about keeping clean and the methods for preventing disease.

So true, but this is a direct response to 17 girls getting pregnant over a 4 year period. Is that the norm. for that area and school. If not, then what is the root cause of the increase in sexual activity in these kids in this system. Birth Control pills are just treating the symptom and not the disease.

I support the PSC and the State for making this decision. I was a teacher in a Portland HS for 25 years. I do know what goes on with teens, and there are many who do not get the necessary support at home to know that at risk sexual behavior benefits no one.

And giving them birth control pills is still NOT dealing with these issues. Just covering up the problem.

You contend this is a band-aid approach to a much deeper problem. If so, this problem has been around for thousands of years. What is your suggestion for addressing that problem? Would you rather young teen age girls get pregnant?

Yes this is a band-aid approach to the problem. My suggestion? Better health education and real sex education.
If the problem has been around for thousands of years, we have done a ****-poor job in the past, and it must be just now that we as a society must be led by the Portland School District into the future? I think not.
Would I rather young teen girls get pregnant? Of course not, but to offer PRESCRIPTION hormone altering drugs to young teen girls WITHOUT parental consent or notification isn't the answer either.

Originally Posted by Parrotpaul

Condoms are available for boys, and I think we all probably need to assume before pills are given to young girls and condoms are given to young boys, appropriate counseling and information is shared with these young people so they make more informed decisions about their sexual lives.

This makes me think of that old SNL skit about assuming something. You know the one. We CANNOT and MUST not assume anything when it comes to the children of our State and their health. We as adults are obligated to KNOW.

If these items are simply handed out like white lined paper, the issue needs to be addressed. I have been closely acquainted with the health care professional at one of the local high schools. I can vouch that this person is a highly educated professional Registered Nurse who is profoundly interested in the health and welfare of the kids she attends, and their well-being is at the very top of her prioroity list.

That is commendable and I would wish that there were somebody with those values in every school in the State.

Parents of those at risk kids should sleep a little more soundly at night knowing there are trained professionals who ensure their kids are protected against disease, and if the need is there, protected against unwanted pregnancies.

No they shouldn't! They should be deeply ashamed that they are too far removed from their childrens lives that they go to strangers for answers like this. And, they should be outraged that the school system and State think they know better than the parents when it comes to dispensing drugs to their children.

If parents would provide the leadership and love their kids seek through at risk behavior, we wouldn't be discussing this issue. We also have to realize many kids are sexually involved with others even though sexual intercourse is not a part of their behavior. Oral sex, mutual masturbation, and even anal sex have become "safe" alternatives to the more risky sexual intercourse...at least the kids think those behaviors are safer. That said...no one gets pregnant if no one has intercourse.

I couldn't agree more with this statement. And if they don't, and the kids seek birth control pills they should be notified at the very least. The last part comes right back to my main premise: BETTER SEX EDUCATION.

[DavidoftheNorth]

Here's another: Baltimore middle schoolers have long had access to contraceptives (http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=155546&zoneid=586 - broken link)

[Parrotpaul]

Originally Posted by Bydand

BETTER SEX EDUCATION.

And that should probably also come from the parents, but from many it doesn't, and it probably won't.

At what age and to what extent should the school system take on the responsibility of sex education?

Presuming you advocate sex ed start at a much younger age and be much more thorough than it is, how would you sell it to the naysayers...those who contend the public schools shouldn't be teaching values to their kids?

[Parrotpaul]

Originally Posted by DavidoftheNorth

How about castrating the 12 year old boy, in public without anaesthesia?

Huh? And what does this have to do with anything?

[msina]

my 2 cents. Girls need to be educated early about sex. The majority of teen and preteen girls that are sexually active are involved with a partner older than she is. One in three girls are molested by age fourteen.

[Parrotpaul]

Originally Posted by msina

my 2 cents. Girls need to be educated early about sex. The majority of teen and preteen girls that are sexually active are involved with a partner older than she is. One in three girls are molested by age fourteen.

So...do you believe the PSC and the State is making a positive proactive move with their decision at King Middle School?