Sex: Some Common Sense, Please
I imagine there are huge swaths of people absolutely outraged by this news, as reported in the NY Times and most of the other media outlets in this country.
The Portland school board on Wednesday approved a measure allowing middle-school students to gain access to prescription birth control medications without notifying parents.
The proposal, from the Portland Division of Public Health, calls for the independently operated health care center at King Middle School to provide a variety of services to students, including immunizations and physical checkups in addition to birth-control medications and counseling for sexually transmitted diseases, said Lisa Belanger, an administrator for Portland’s student health centers.
Oh. My. God.
Middle school. That means 12-,13-, 14-year olds.
What is happening to this country?
Well, one of the things that is happening is that some, although certainly not all, kids at that age are sexually active, and most of them are at least thinking about "it", however they define "it". And they are all right on schedual, given the nature of, well, nature.
I had my first menstrual period when I was twelve (nearly 50 years ago), and I was certainly not the first girl in my seventh-grade class to hit that milestone. A younger friend of mine tells me that the average age of menarche among American girls is now earlier, and she thinks it's about nine or ten. I don't know how accurate that is, but I do know that when I was ten I was already curious about such things. At any rate, I was in middle school (although it was called "Junior High" back then) when I officially was capable of becoming pregnant. And I certainly was of an age to contract a sexually transmitted disease. The first "health" class I had which discussed such issues came three years later, which, if you think about it, wasn't real timely.
And that, I believe, is the point that the Portland School Board was trying address. It got a lot of flack from the audience at the meeting, but one father clearly got it:
“Not every child is getting the guidance needed to keep them safe,” said Richard Veilleux, who said his child attends King Middle School. “This is about giving kids who are sexually active the tools that they need.”
Exactly.
But it's not just about access to condoms and birth control pills, it's about sane and complete education, which is certainly more than a "just don't do it" abstinence only program can provide.
Kids need to be given practical information about those condoms, including what they are used for, how they are used, when they are used, and all the things they can prevent.
Kids, especially girls, need to be given complete information about birth control pills, including the regimen for taking them and the possible side-effects. They have to understand that if they stop taking them, they can become pregnant.
Kids have to be made to understand that getting pregnant is not the only danger to unprotected sex, and they have to be shown just what SDTs can do to the body now, and in the future. And they need to hear that information early and from responsible adults. Since most parents really can't or won't give that information, then the schools must.
And a lot of that information has to be delivered before the tenth grade. The friend I mentioned earlier told me her eight-year-old daughter started asking "those kind of questions" this past summer. "What are tampons?" What are they used for?" "Why does that happen?" "Will I have to use them?" "Should we get some now, just in case?"
Her mother is a lawyer and her father an engineer. They've started talking frankly with her, and with the principal of her grade school to find out when the system for this kind of education kicks in at the schools. I think the news from Portland, Maine will cheer them both up and will give them some ammunition when they speak to the principal again.
And I hope they keep hammering at that principal, because these are kids' lives at stake.
The Portland school board on Wednesday approved a measure allowing middle-school students to gain access to prescription birth control medications without notifying parents.
The proposal, from the Portland Division of Public Health, calls for the independently operated health care center at King Middle School to provide a variety of services to students, including immunizations and physical checkups in addition to birth-control medications and counseling for sexually transmitted diseases, said Lisa Belanger, an administrator for Portland’s student health centers.
Oh. My. God.
Middle school. That means 12-,13-, 14-year olds.
What is happening to this country?
Well, one of the things that is happening is that some, although certainly not all, kids at that age are sexually active, and most of them are at least thinking about "it", however they define "it". And they are all right on schedual, given the nature of, well, nature.
I had my first menstrual period when I was twelve (nearly 50 years ago), and I was certainly not the first girl in my seventh-grade class to hit that milestone. A younger friend of mine tells me that the average age of menarche among American girls is now earlier, and she thinks it's about nine or ten. I don't know how accurate that is, but I do know that when I was ten I was already curious about such things. At any rate, I was in middle school (although it was called "Junior High" back then) when I officially was capable of becoming pregnant. And I certainly was of an age to contract a sexually transmitted disease. The first "health" class I had which discussed such issues came three years later, which, if you think about it, wasn't real timely.
And that, I believe, is the point that the Portland School Board was trying address. It got a lot of flack from the audience at the meeting, but one father clearly got it:
“Not every child is getting the guidance needed to keep them safe,” said Richard Veilleux, who said his child attends King Middle School. “This is about giving kids who are sexually active the tools that they need.”
Exactly.
But it's not just about access to condoms and birth control pills, it's about sane and complete education, which is certainly more than a "just don't do it" abstinence only program can provide.
Kids need to be given practical information about those condoms, including what they are used for, how they are used, when they are used, and all the things they can prevent.
Kids, especially girls, need to be given complete information about birth control pills, including the regimen for taking them and the possible side-effects. They have to understand that if they stop taking them, they can become pregnant.
Kids have to be made to understand that getting pregnant is not the only danger to unprotected sex, and they have to be shown just what SDTs can do to the body now, and in the future. And they need to hear that information early and from responsible adults. Since most parents really can't or won't give that information, then the schools must.
And a lot of that information has to be delivered before the tenth grade. The friend I mentioned earlier told me her eight-year-old daughter started asking "those kind of questions" this past summer. "What are tampons?" What are they used for?" "Why does that happen?" "Will I have to use them?" "Should we get some now, just in case?"
Her mother is a lawyer and her father an engineer. They've started talking frankly with her, and with the principal of her grade school to find out when the system for this kind of education kicks in at the schools. I think the news from Portland, Maine will cheer them both up and will give them some ammunition when they speak to the principal again.
And I hope they keep hammering at that principal, because these are kids' lives at stake.
Labels: Sex
posted by Diane at 5:43 PM
3 Comments:
You know, my G/Son is only 9+ years away from middle school. I'd hope that his parents and I would be so involved in his life that we'd know if he were sexually active and that, at that age, we'd have him too busy w/ other things to be sexually active. But if he were sexually active, I would kiss the feet of anyone who would give him birth control and real information. But that's just me and I'm a crazy old witch who got pregnant at 17.
In an ideal world, kids wouldn't be having sex.
But, as we all know, this is not an ideal world.
too busy w/ other things to be sexually active
I think even the busiest kid can find time for sex but I think I take your point - they will be focused on other ambitions. I'm trying that with my young teens. My hope is that they have plans for themselves, understand the consequences of sex - pregnancy not always being the worst of the possibilities - and practice restraint. Of course, they are informed as well in case my dreams don't come true.
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