What do you thing about contraceptive drugs being administered in public schools to prevent teen pregnancy?

Question

Pardon the typo I meant "Think"

Answer 1

It's a great idea.  I know most parents would hate this because they tend to forget what it was like to be a teen.  Kids are going to have s*x whether they have protection or not so it's better to have them protected than for them to come and tell you that you're going to be a grandparent so young or worse, that they have an std.  

I'm 30 now, started having s*x just past my 14th birthday.  While I really really wish I would have waited, nobody was going to change my mind at the time so I just thank god that we were smart enough to use condoms and I immediately told my mom and she put me on the pill...and grounded me of course.

Answer 2

We should be teaching our children to abstain from s*x. It is not the schools place to be teaching or helping our children in these situations anyhow. Parents need to step up and remember it is their duty to their children.

Answer 3

I don't know of any schools actually do that...but if the student is over 16, or whatever age they can go to the health department and get the pills for free legally in their state, I think it's a good idea. I have a friend right now whose girlfriend is pregnant (she's 16). When I asked why he didn't just take her to get the pill for free at the health department, he said simply, "It was always closed when we get out of school" (not exactly an excuse for an accidental pregnancy but he has a good point). The girlfriend's parents weren't the type who would consider getting birth control pills for their daughter, they would rather just go on believing that their little baby was going to remain a virgin forever. Maybe that's why it took them six months to notice that their daughter was pregnant in the first place.

Teenagers are going to have s*x whether the schools provide them with the pills or not, so I'd rather they have them and not need them than need them and not have them. As a taxpayer it will save me a ton of money because I won't have to support all those teen mothers who depend on government aid to provide the basic necessities for their unplanned, accidental pregnancies.

And to the person who answered above me...your taxes already go to providing teens with birth control pills and depo provera shots. They are available for free at your local health department, which your taxes pay for.

Answer 4

I completely agree that teens should not be having kids and that they should focus on getting education and enjoying their childhood.

However, I do not agree with administering hormonal birth control in public schools because of medical reasons. The pill and other methods of birth control can have serious side effects and school nurses aren't as qualified as endocrinologists or gynecologists to identify contraindications. ( I apologize if I offend any school nurses). For example, depo provera has a very high success rate, but depletes calcium from the bones and can lead to early osteoporosis. This is especially severe in teens whose bones are still growing. Pills with estrogen can sometimes cause blood clots in people with family history of clotting problems.

How many 12 or 13- year-olds know enough about their family health history to know if they have a chance of clotting problems? This also applies to most student health centers and free health clinics that employ semi-qualified personnel. They tend to hand out pills like candy and they can hardly educate kids how to use it properly and tell them about possible side effects.

I am not against hormonal BC, and I used it myself before I got an IUD, but I don't think that it should be handed out without proper medical care.  

What about STDs? Teens are still growing, and the average condom is a bit too big for a young teen boy and don't fit as snugly as they should until the kids reach their late teens.

I think we should focus more on education (all aspects of it, not just on s*x education) and on future prospects and job training. If kids had more focus, and if they knew they'd miss out on life if they got pregnant, they'd be less likely to have unprotected s*x.

Answer 5

Its a plus. kids will do what they want when they want to. And sometimes they will not tell you, so at least its there for the option. also, i still say teach abstience at home

Answer 6

That is a tough one... part of me thinks its a good thing, but part of me doesn't.  Kids can go to the store & buy condoms, I did in high school... so why can't they.  They want everyone to know they are having s*x... so there you go.  Show it off.  But many kids will not go buy them.. won't spend the money on them... etc... but they are going to have s*x anyway, so if the school providing condoms actually gets kids to use them.. then it's a great idea.  I dunno.. part of me thinks that we are taking away way too much of parent responsibilities and pushing them on the schools.  It's a question that has multiple answers.

I just noticed its drugs we're talking about.  It is not a good idea unless the kids DR gives a note that they can take the pill.  YOu have no idea what kids medical histories are.. the schools cannot take that liability

Answer 7

A good idea.  I'd rather hope that if my child is having s*x that they be smart and have access to contraceptives at whatever age.  You can't control when they have s*x, just the maturity in which they approach the situation with.  If my kids came home pregnant, I'd help them raise their baby until they were on their feet.

Answer 8

I'm very liberal, but I have a problem with this.  Condoms, sure hand them out left and right if you want-h**l put them on the free lunch tray.

Contraceptives are another issue.  I think that this is an issue for the parents to deal with.  My biggest problem is who will be paying for it?   I do not think that my tax dollars should be spent to provide a teenager with birth control when they have insurance, but just don't feel that they can talk to their parents about it.

There's a difference where the funding comes from.  School related is from property taxes.  Where I live that's over 6,000 per year-I think that's quite enough.  Yes, we have excellent schools, but I don't want to see programs sacrificed for the sake of handing out what someone can get elsewhere.

The health department is funded through federal and state money-indirectly through taxes- and a major portion is from grants and contracts.  Our county does NOT provide birth control.  Low cost maternity care, STD awareness, and infant care, but no birth control.