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Preteens on the Pill?
A student health center at a middle school in Portland, Maine, recently voted to make birth control pills and patches available to students treated at the center. For those of you who don't remember, middle schoolers range in age from 11 to 13. While making contraceptives more widely available is a noble goal, doesn't an 11-year-old girl seeking birth control pills cry out for a visit from social services? After all, girls that young rarely have 12-year-old partners.
Obviously it's better to have preteens on the pill than pregnant, but still, the news that five kids told the middle-school nurse in Portland that they were having sex last year seems worth more intervention that just a pack of Ortho-Novum....
So kids 11-14 can get birth control pills without Mom and Dad knowing in a Maine Middle School? Wait...was that 11 years old???? Huh? I mean is it really 11 years old?
One thing that's increasingly irritated me for about the last 4 years are all of the Viagra, Levitra ect...ads on TV that openly discuss sex and "4 hour erections". Ever been watching with your 10 year old niece in the room? Or perhaps 8 year old nephew? Or any kid that doesn't need to be seeing ads like that? It's a little awkward. What kind of discussions does this spur for little Jimmy and his buddies or young Sally and her girlfriends at a sleepover?
Where do these drug companies get off putting those adds out at family viewing time and where do the networks who accept the add money get off approving it? Oh wait, could it possible be all about the money(as opposed to right and wrong) IN THE SHALLOW END OF THE POOL? Could this having something to do with young kids "bringing sexy back" at a younger and younger age? Could the national circus sourounding our friendlyneightborhood ex-President Clinton's horrific decision to play cigar and popsicle games with a 23....yes, 23 year old intern that he had lots of control and influence over have anything to do with it? Could the fact that Mom is just as likely these days to have to work to support our lifestyles versus nurturing and raising a child at home(at least until 5) have anything to do with it?
Just wondering. Thoughts anyone?
Finally, another social liberal who - while no big fan of the abstinence only mythology [that few Christian conservative adults actually practice - especially after first divorce]- believe that the widespread promotion of promiscuity by those in our media is ridiculous! As someone who has actually practiced long-term celibacy before getting married, it is highly doable and not that "abnormal". You are not some freak because [as posited in most TV shows] you haven't had sex in over a week. And those who don't have heterosexual sex are not gays/lesbians in denial.
I think it's about time that people realized that kids are having sex. I'm nearly 30 and several of my friends lost their virginity between the ages of twelve and fifteen. Need I remind you that this was several years ago? Abstinence only education does not work; teaching kids about STD's, communication, etc. can help - but we do need to provide birth control for those who will be having sex anyway.
As a very opinionated progressive, this is one of the first issues I have mixed feelings on. 11 year old girls are still developing. Is it a good idea for them to be ingesting hormones during/before puberty? Teach them how to use condoms and tell them the benefits of condoms, but I am a bit wary about what hormonal birth control could do to a young girls development.
Very strange generalizing, prejudiced logic. You sound like terrorist-minded Bushies: because paternal sexual abuse (terrorism) COULD be happening, lets fuck all the daddies and families (possible terrorists) with social service visits before we got proof. Yeah! Good deal. Like the scandal that hit Washington State over child abuse because of overzealous social service workers bent on proving the stats...and abusive law officials wagging the dog. And, yes, an 11 or 12 yr old can have a similarly aged sex partner. Get with it, girl! ALL men ain't bad and ALL girls ain't angels and ALL little boys ain't not sexually active.
I am a psychotherapist working in a school based health center in northern NM. We provide primary care, sexual health, and mental health services for middle and high school students. We also provide sexual health education in the classroom. Before NM passed a law making all sexual and mental health services confidential, meaning no parental notification, there were 52 pregnancies in a school pop. of approx. 1200. Last year there were 11. These kids are going to have sex! Our job is to give them the information they need to make informed decisions and the tools (condoms and birth control pills)to protect themselves when they choose to be sexually active. Doing this is not to endorse behaviors for which, in the opinion of many, they are too young. As it happens, I worked for many years in Portland ME before moving to NM and it is my opinion that your suggestion that social service get involved is totally unrealistic. In both states these agencies are overwhelmed and lack the personnel with the skills and experience to do the job. Ask them. Furthermore their involvement would result in the kids not receiving services because at all costs they don't want their parents to know what they are doing. Thus we would be unable to do our primary job which is helping them in protecting themselves.
> because paternal sexual abuse >(terrorism) COULD be happening, >lets fuck all the daddies and >families (possible terrorists) >with social service visits >before we got proof.
The way I was seeing their point was not that the girls were being abused by their parents, but they were being taken advantage of by older boys. It may not be her father or uncle or whoever, but it's still an abuse of power if 17/18 year old has sex with an 11 year old. So I think they would want the girls to see councilors or whatever to make sure that they knew what they were getting into and they weren't having any alcohol/drug problems (as that might be another thing "older boys" might introduce them to).
Just put the older boy/girl in jail on statutory rape. Do that a few times and word will spread, stay away from the "jail bait".
The moment that anti-abortion supporters pass taxes to fund all the clinics, schools, pools, parks, jails, homes, libraries, etc. for all of these UNWANTED kids to use when they are born, then I will vote to outlaw abortion. Call me when you have them built. Build them and I will relent. Please, Mr. and Mrs. Fundie Christian, don't say "The invisible hand of the marketplace or the invisible hand of God will take care of them." Don't even try. Pass the taxes, build the schools, then we'll chat. Bye now.
I am speechless. Of course, we need to protect our children. Isn't this an issue for child protective services? What about "too young" does this school/state/nurse not understand. I am not against the birth control. I am FOR parenting courses, and help for confused parents whose job it is to make their children feel secure enough. Children who haven't had proper parenting will make bad choices. Why are we not hearing that it is not okay for an 11 y.o. to have sex.
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