Posted on 07/13/2007 10:22:52 PM PDT by monomaniac
THE morning-after pill is being given to Suffolk schoolgirls - with pupils as young as 13 able to access the emergency contraception without the knowledge of their parents.
In the 11 months between April last year and February this year, 68 morning-after pills were handed out to girls in the county's schools.
The news emerged amid national concerns that thousands of girls - some as young as 11 - could be given the emergency contraception at school without parental knowledge.
But last night Suffolk Primary Care Trust stressed health professionals in the county were sticking to national Government guidelines. These only allow the emergency contraceptive pill to be given to those aged over 13 - but say under-16s can be “competent to give valid consent”.
The school-based health services - provided by highly-trained reproductive health nurses - are proving effective at cutting teenage pregnancy rates, the PCT said.
But fears were voiced last night that the national policy could encourage young girls to engage in sex before they were ready.
Norman Wells, director of Family and Youth Concern, an organisation which researches the causes and consequences of family breakdown, said: “Making contraception and the morning-after pill available to under-16s sends out the message that there is nothing wrong with underage sex and undermines the law on the age of consent.
“It inevitably results in young men putting pressure on vulnerable girls to have sex by telling them that if they are worried about getting pregnant, they can always go to the school nurse and get the morning-after pill without anyone needing to know.
“Most schools which are giving out the morning-after pill to pupils in the belief that it will reduce teenage pregnancy rates are unaware of the fact that they are flying in the face of international research evidence.
“No less than 23 studies from 10 countries have found that increased access to the morning-after pill has made not the slightest difference to unintended pregnancy and abortion rates. In fact, there is evidence that making it available to underage girls in strict confidence may be making matters worse by encouraging some girls to become sexually active when they might not otherwise have done so.”
But Emrys Green, chairman of the Bury St Edmunds Youth Council, disagreed.
He said: “I think it's a good thing the morning-after pill can be given out in schools. At least it gives young girls a choice to live their lives and not their parents' lives.
“It's their choice whether they want to involve them or not. Just because the morning-after pill is available it doesn't mean girls will have sex before they're ready. If they wanted the morning-after pill that bad, they would go to the doctor anyway.”
The confidential school-based services offer emergency contraception, free condoms and pregnancy tests. But they also offer advice to youngsters about contraceptives and relationships and how to delay having sex, a Suffolk PCT spokesman said.
Nine secondary schools in Suffolk PCT's area - excluding Waveney - offer school-based health services.
A PCT spokesman said: “We follow strict guidance to ensure children's safety.
“Our part in the school-based health services has proved effective. For example, in one school with a previously high teenage pregnancy rate there were no teenage pregnancies following the first year this school-based health service was set up.
“Young people appreciate the non-judgemental advice we can give on health matters, including their sexual health, how to avoid feeling pressured into having sex and also how to deal with the consequences appropriately.
“Young people with more information can make the right choices to avoid having sex. In addition, some of our nurses have been invited to run sessions for parents on how to discuss relationships and sex with their children, which have proved successful.”
Patricia O'Brien, the county council's portfolio holder for children, schools and young people's services, added: “Evidence from almost every developed country in the world suggests that where proper advice and guidance is readily available to young people, they will make the responsible choice.”
Exactly as planned by those pushing its use.
>> THE morning-after pill is being given to Suffolk schoolgirls - with pupils as young as 13 able to access the emergency contraception without the knowledge of their parents.
State vs the family.
I encouraged teen sex once, when I was a teen. Bad news! But, my fifteen year old son was a blessing in disguise.
We have a quick and easy online tour through the most important topics for teens who are sexually active now or just thinking about having sex. It's called "Just Say Yes" (en español: "¡Di Que Sí!") because we're tired of people telling us what we can and can't do. There's no preaching. No moralizing.
It is a fallacy to think that sex education programs don't work. They work fine at getting the kids to sexually experiment which is their covert goal.
Doesn't have to be, there is room for reproductive health education. That isn't the goal. Continuing the work of Kinsey and Reich and radical feminists is the goal.
Why is a democracy letting the government decide of what their children’s sexuality is to consist. I thought “choice” was to get the governments nose out of the bedroom. Seems it got it instead into all of the families’ matter!
So if the girl hemorgyes and bleeds to death can the parents sue the snot of the “Highly Trained Nurse”, school and government?
>> So if the girl hemorgyes and bleeds to death can the parents sue the snot of the “Highly Trained Nurse”, school and government?
I don’t think these institutions understand the range of protection and justice some parents will apply when it comes to the welfare of their children.
That, and the fact that there are two generations who have grown up with NO Godly values being taught at home are the reason kids are having sex at 11 years old.
Ping.
this may not be the initial actions you may want to consider thinking about for the upcoming generations and possibly upcoming children of yours.
but as time goes on, the grey between good and bad parents become less and less. which is forcing our states and government to take an action so that the grey doesn’t lessen even more. causing even more radical differences in good and bad kids. which is having a major effect on sexual intercourse in highschools.
think about it, times have changed.
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