School to give birth control to 11 year olds

[Mike!]

It must be pretty damn boring in Maine.

Story here. (http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/10/18/middleschool.contraception.ap/index.html)

The whole idea of this disturbs me. I think giving out BC to 11 year olds is an insane idea. That's just encouraging the problem. As cliched as it sounds, it'd be better to teach abstinence or showing those scary STD photos or.. doing anything other then just drugging them and let them continue to go off and have sex.

Your thoughts?

[Crazy Jamie]

Whilst I completely agree that the only birth control that eleven year olds should be using is abstinence, I wouldn't say that giving them birth control (or showing them what it is) is going to make the problem worse. It won't stop those who already know about it and want to try it, and I can't really imagine it encouraging those who don't want to try it or haven't thought about it.

[Supa Scandalous]

Hah..why dont they just put it into the form of a gummy bear too while they're at it. That's pathetic.

[Ocean]

When I was 11 (sixth grade, I think?), they showed us "the movie", and to be honest, we were already kind of freaked out about the subject. ("The movie" was just some lame thing about puberty and sex and junk like that.) In ninth grade they had the sex ed program as part of health class and suggested abstinence as well. It was all very cheesy, but we learned a lot from it. So I agree on your point that they should stick the cliche type things.

As for actually making birth control pills available.. I don't know. I guess it's good in a way. "Good" being that they at least have somewhere to go to to get the pills. It's bad in that it's making it seem okay for them to have sexual intercourse at such a young age, though I'm sure that's definitely not what they're intending to do.

Overall, to me It's just saying, "Here's the protection if you want it. Have a good life." Doesn't sound all that informative.

[Mike!]

Whilst I completely agree that the only birth control that eleven year olds should be using is abstinence, I wouldn't say that giving them birth control (or showing them what it is) is going to make the problem worse. It won't stop those who already know about it and want to try it, and I can't really imagine it encouraging those who don't want to try it or haven't thought about it.
I have no qualms with them teaching about birth control. I just think handing it out is a bad idea. I guess it's just my continuing anger that society's solution to all physical or mental problems seems to be drugs. Little Timmy can't sit still? Drugs. Little Amy is sad all the time? Drugs. And so on. Of course, drugs are usually mixed in with thearpy and teachings. Also, for the most part the drugs do help but that's not always the solution. It seems to me that most people want the quick fix instead of dealing with the problem.

[Crazy Jamie]

I have no qualms with them teaching about birth control. I just think handing it out is a bad idea. I guess it's just my continuing anger that society's solution to all physical or mental problems seems to be drugs. Little Timmy can't sit still? Drugs. Little Amy is sad all the time? Drugs. And so on. Of course, drugs are usually mixed in with thearpy and teachings. Also, for the most part the drugs do help but that's not always the solution. It seems to me that most people want the quick fix instead of dealing with the problem.It's not really the same though. I agree that drugs are overused in society today. So many people turn to painkillers, anti depressants etc when it really isn't needed and there are other ways of solving their problems permanently. But birth control falls into a different bracket. You do need specified medical techniques and/or prescriptions in order to prevent pregnancy. Condoms work fine, but they're not practical as a long term measure, so couples understandably turn to things like the pill, DEPO (the injection), and patches. There really isn't anything wrong with that, and it really isn't the same as coping with stress.

[Mike!]

And, I've got nothing against birth control. Hell, if it hadn't existed I'd be a daddy by now.

I just think that there's no good reason to give to an 11 year old girl. 14 at the youngest.

[MachSpeed]

Wow...I can't believe that they are planning to do this. The fact that birth control is being given to preteens disturbs me. Have they not considered the fact that it could promote sex? At that age, understanding that girls won't get pregnant and guys can't get a girl pregnant could lead to misinterpretation. Unless precautions are taken towards educating kids in the dangers and/or consequences, aside from pregnancy, of sex, then this idea should fall through the roof. As of now, I'm standing on the opposing side of this.

[Crazy Jamie]

Wow...I can't believe that they are planning to do this. The fact that birth control is being given to preteens disturbs me. Have they not considered the fact that it could promote sex? At that age, understanding that girls won't get pregnant and guys can't get a girl pregnant could lead to misinterpretation. Unless precautions are taken towards educating kids in the dangers and/or consequences, aside from pregnancy, of sex, then this idea should fall through the roof. As of now, I'm standing on the opposing side of this.Presumably they're not just throwing birth control pills at these kids, but educating them as well.

[MachSpeed]

Good to know, although if they are educating the kids, why give them birth control in the first place? If they are taught right, then BC shouldn't be a concern, right?

[Crazy Jamie]

Not in an ideal world, but this is not an ideal world. But sex education should be aimed at doing just that- educate. It should not aim to either encourage nor discourage. Ultimately if you attempt to discourage kids of that age from anything you can end up encouraging them anyway. So education should be the key. But despite that there are always going to be kids who decide to have sex at a much younger age than they should. You can't stop that, so it makes sense to provide birth control for such situations. Young kids having sex isn't good, but young kids having sex and getting pregnant or contracting STDs as a result is worse. You can't stop them having sex, so you might as well have a go at stopping the collateral damage.

[MachSpeed]

Ok, yeah. Common sense unfortunately isn't so common. I guess we can only hope that they educate them properly and that preteen and teen pregnancies are less likely to be a problem. Birth control still seems to be an extreme action, but if it is the best way to solve this problem then it is necessary.

[Crazy Jamie]

I agree that it is not ideal. But you play the hand you're dealt, and if governments are faced with young kids that are going to have sex regardless, then you have to look to other methods of addressing the situation.