Contraception in schools

Baby-_-Girl-_-19 · Dec 4, 2007, 07:16 PM

For school we're having to write a persuasive paper on a topic of our chosing. I recently had to switch mine because, i was having issues finding information on my other topic. The topic i got switchted to is 'Contraception in schools' basically whether or not school nurses should or should be allowed to give out contraceptives, confidetially and at low cost. Just out of curiosity more than anything i was wondering what Other people thought about this topic. Any of your opinions would be apretiated, and/or imformation that could help me with my paper...

speechlesstx · Dec 14, 2007, 01:26 PM

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

That's your opinion of course, but it's not fact.

Interesting requirement of the Involving Parents segment:

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The draft legislation sets up a process for parents to review curricula and would require that parents be notified if their children are receiving abstinence-only sex education.

But would it require parental notification if their children were being indoctrinated otherwise? Anyway, I'll see your parental involvement clause and raise you a double standard:

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Rep. John Fritchey yesterday proposed a bill in Illinois that expands the definition of parental notification for teens seeking an abortion. The Adolescent Health Care Safety Act (HB 317) would allow teens seeking an abortion to consult with a trusted adult other than a parent. State Attorney General Lisa Madigan on Friday requested that the injunction on the Parental Notification of Abortion Act be lifted, allowing the 12-year-old law to be enforced.

“We are disappointed that Attorney General Madigan has gone before the Federal Court to lift the injunction on this extremely old law. It is harmful and dangerous to the teens in our communities. We strongly support Rep. Fritchey’s legislation to allow another trusted adult—a priest or member of the clergy or other adult family member—to be notified when a teen is dealing with a difficult decision regarding her pregnancy,” said Karla Peterson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois.

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We're pleased that the Florida Supreme Court ruled five to one today that parental notification requirements abridge a minor's right to privacy, as explicitly protected by the Florida Constitution. Mandatory parental notification laws create the opposite of their proposed purpose by scaring young people away from seeking vital health care services. Erecting barriers to health care will increase the numbers of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection and endanger the emotional and physical health of young women who seek abortion services.

Planned Parenthood encourages young women to involve their parents when making reproductive health decisions, but not every family is a model family. Teens most at risk for unintended pregnancy may be least able to turn to their parents.

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Planned Parenthood and Parental Notification

Of all the abortion-related policy issues facing decision-makers in this country today, parental consent or notification before a minor may obtain an abortion is one of the most difficult. Planned Parenthood wholeheartedly encourages parental involvement when a young woman is faced with an unplanned pregnancy. In fact, in our health centers, 73% of our clients who are teenage girls already involve a parent.

Unfortunately, some young women cannot involve their parents because they come from homes where physical violence and emotional abuse are prevalent or because their pregnancies are the result of incest. In other cases, young women may not realize how supportive their parents might be. In some circumstances, teens facing a crisis pregnancy feel compelled to travel to another state where there is a less stringent parental involvement law or no such law at all, to avoid involving their parents and maintain their privacy. In the direst circumstances, some pregnant young women who fear telling their parents may feel so desperate that they resort to illegal or self-induced abortions that may result in death.

Recognizing this, Colorado legislators incorporated into the law the right for a minor to apply for a judicial bypass of the parental notification. This judicial bypass process can be intimidating and, most importantly, time-consuming. Delays at this crucial time will heighten both physical and emotional health risks, as well as substantially increase the cost of an abortion.

We know that these hurdles can overwhelm teens. Some young women cannot maneuver the legal procedures required or cannot attend hearings scheduled during school hours. Others do not connect with the system because they fear that the proceedings are not confidential or that people at the courthouse will recognize them. Many may experience denial or panic. They cannot imagine revealing intimate details of their personal lives in court. These teens will become overwhelmed with navigating the system alone.

We will not stand by and watch this happen. We have created a free and private statewide response system to the legal needs of minors who seek the judicial bypass option...

Through our toll-free hotline (1.866.277.2771) Colorado minors can learn more about the parental notification law and receive attorney referrals for representation. By organizing a network of attorneys, health care providers and crisis intervention specialists, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains can stay on top of the real-life issues facing these minors as they access their constitutional right to choose.

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JDP is fighting on just one front of a growing state-by-state struggle against parental involvement legislation. Pro-choice advocates encourage healthy teen-parent communication. Such laws, they say, do not. They not only threaten the rights and safety of teen girls, but they also chip away at the reproductive freedom of all women. "Minors do have reproductive rights," says former JDP Executive Director Diana Philip, noting the supreme irony that minors can give birth without a parent's knowledge, but they can't get an abortion. "But they're an easy target. If you go after the population of people who don't have a vote and take away their rights first, it's easier to take away the rights of all. Roe v. Wade is deteriorating because of these measures."

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Because Planned Parenthood is so worried about the health and safety of pregnant teens, we have proposed HB 317, the Adolescent Health Care Safety Act to replace the old 1995 law. This new bill will expand the definition of adult family member (pdf) who can waive the 48 hour notification so that a young woman can turn to an aunt, uncle, or adult sibling in addition to her parents or grandparents. Clergy are also included to receive notification. In addition, if a teen can not talk to any eligible adult family member or clergy, she can talk to a licensed health or mental health professional who will ensure she receives complete options information. Once she has received the required counseling from one of these professional, the notification requirement can be waived.

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While parental notification laws might seem reasonable (pdf) at first glance, they actually place the safety of vulnerable teens in jeopardy. If a teen feels unable to talk to her parents about sensitive issues like abortion, or is reluctant to disappoint her parents by telling them she is pregnant, or comes from an abusive home, parental notification laws may delay or prevent her from obtaining safe medical care. Still worse, they can drive a frightened teen to risk her life and her health by resorting to dangerous, medically unsound means of ending her pregnancy.

Oh, and my favorite today, recruiting kids to promote their agenda...

NK, PP always tries to insert the PC phrases in their articles like "Planned Parenthood encourages young women to involve their parents" - BUT...

It's the 'buts' that are worrisome. They are actively fighting against parental consent/notification laws. They are actively engaged in passing legislation to "expand the definition of adult family member" to just about anyone. They do furnish information on consent/notification laws followed by telling kids what states they can go to to avoid the law and get an abortion anyway. All the while inserting their patented scare phrases like "they can drive a frightened teen to risk her life and her health by resorting to dangerous, medically unsound means of ending her pregnancy" and the gratuitous "we care about teens health" line.

The facts show exactly what I said, PP doesn't care what parents want. Oh they give their ideal family situation, but they make darn sure everyone knows the child's "right to privacy," "reproductive rights" or whatever term they choose at the moment trumps parental involvement. So if a teen "feels" unable to talk to her parents or is "reluctant to disappoint her parents" they shouldn't have to talk to their parents. I'm sorry, a kid's "reluctance" or "feeling" unable to talk to their parents is no excuse to exclude the parents.

Synnen · Dec 14, 2007, 01:46 PM

Out of curiosity, Speech--would PP informing you have made a difference in your daughter's health?

I had no problem with the pro-choice ideas they gave. Even teens have ideas on whether or not abortion should happen--or do you think that people turn 18 before they have any political ideas?

All of those things you posted seems extremely reasonable to me. Trying involve family in some way is GREAT--but there ARE young women out there for whom informing their family could have detrimental or fatal results. Period. For every worse-case scenario you could give me where a parent should have been involved from the start, I can give you one where the parent shouldn't EVER be informed.

What it comes down to is that there NEEDS to be someplace teens can go to get medical help when they can't go to their families, or FEEL like they can't. I respect that you don't care for Planned Parenthood and their "agenda"--but what would you put in its place?

NeedKarma · Dec 14, 2007, 02:09 PM

Sorry mate, I would rather see my child see PP rather than a clergy member, we all know what problems the clergy caused with children (hint: they have ruined more young lives that PP ever will). Regardless of that talking to a trusted family member is preferable.

I see that this is a personal issue with you because of an event with your daughter and thus no argument is good enough. I respectfully unsubscribe from this thread.

speechlesstx · Dec 14, 2007, 02:55 PM

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Originally Posted by Altenweg

what about the others?

Believe it or not I think we all agree there is the issue of "what about the others?" Of course they need options, I've never denied that - I just think there has to be a better option than PP. I've already shared my personal experience with why I feel that way, and the hell we went through thanks in part to them I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Our lives were forever changed because our daughter made some poor choices, among them turning to PP instead of us, and besides the child she still mourns for their incompetent "health care" left her a physical disaster for what may be a needlessly short life. That's also what happens when a child takes the easy way out with strangers with an agenda rather than turn to the people that truly love them, because she "feels" she can't or is "reluctant" to talk to her parents.

magprob · Dec 14, 2007, 02:56 PM

Contraception in schools? For who? The teachers? Yes, by all means. When a teacher has sex with a student, they should use contraception. By all means.

speechlesstx · Dec 14, 2007, 03:12 PM

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Originally Posted by Synnen

Out of curiosity, Speech--would PP informing you have made a difference in your daughter's health?

If you mean them informing me of their "care" of my daughter, heck yeah it would have made a difference. It's a lot better to treat HIV early before it turns to AIDS, your CD4 count gets down below 20, your kidneys fail and you acquire PCP and other opportunistic diseases.

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but there ARE young women out there for whom informing their family could have detrimental or fatal results. Period.

I've never denied that. I just think there are far more good parents than bad parents and they will end up paying the price for this movement to bypass parental consent.

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What it comes down to is that there NEEDS to be someplace teens can go to get medical help when they can't go to their families, or FEEL like they can't. I respect that you don't care for Planned Parenthood and their "agenda"--but what would you put in its place?

Good question, I don't know, but I would think everyone would be happy with a center without an agenda other than doing what's absolutely best for all, that makes every effort to include the parents in any decisions for minor children. Apparently that's not a crisis pregnancy center and it darn sure ain't PP.

speechlesstx · Dec 14, 2007, 03:15 PM

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

Sorry mate, I would rather see my child see PP rather than a clergy member, we all know what problems the clergy caused with children (hint: they have ruined more young lives that PP ever will). Regardless of that talking to a trusted family member is preferable.

I see that this is a personal issue with you because of an event with your daughter and thus no argument is good enough. I respectfully unsubscribe from this thread.

Hey, if you look at my last response to you it's PP that wants to make clergy a substitute family member, not me. And I do think there is a middle ground, I haven't called for a crisis pregnancy center as the alternative but without fail every advocate on this subject has listed PP as the place to turn to. Offer me something else...

Altenweg · Dec 14, 2007, 05:17 PM

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Originally Posted by speechlesstx

Believe it or not I think we all agree there is the issue of "what about the others?" Of course they need options, I've never denied that - I just think there has to be a better option than PP. I've already shared my personal experience with why I feel that way, and the hell we went through thanks in part to them I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Our lives were forever changed because our daughter made some poor choices, among them turning to PP instead of us, and besides the child she still mourns for their incompetent "health care" left her a physical disaster for what may be a needlessly short life. That's also what happens when a child takes the easy way out with strangers with an agenda rather than turn to the people that truly love them, because she "feels" she can't or is "reluctant" to talk to her parents.

I am truly sorry that you and your daughter had to go through this. I think that I've mentioned before that I don't live in the US, I live in Canada. Things are very different here, and I speak from that experience. I will risk being politically incorrect and tell you that you are in my prayers. I now understand why you feel the way you do. You obviously feel very strongly about this, maybe the experiences you had is a hint that you were meant to make things change for the better. I don't know what that would entail, I wish I had the answers, I only have opinions based of the things I've gone through and the things I've seen other people go through. Judging by all the different opinions here, I would venture to say that we will never find a solution that will make everyone happy and safe. Best of luck to you.

speechlesstx · Dec 15, 2007, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Altenweg

I am truly sorry that you and your daughter had to go through this. I think that I've mentioned before that I don't live in the US, I live in Canada. Things are very different here, and I speak from that experience. I will risk being politically incorrect and tell you that you are in my prayers. I now understand why you feel the way you do. You obviously feel very strongly about this, maybe the experiences you had is a hint that you were meant to make things change for the better. I don't know what that would entail, I wish I had the answers, I only have opinions based of the things I've gone through and the things I've seen other people go through. Judging by all the different opinions here, I would venture to say that we will never find a solution that will make everyone happy and safe. Best of luck to you.

No need to feel bad for me but prayers are always welcome on this end. Besides, I think I've risked being a little politically incorrect here, lol

You hit the key for why I speak as I do, though, I feel if one person avoids the mess we've experienced all my ranting will have been worth it. But when it gets down to it I reluctantly agree that "we will never find a solution that will make everyone happy and safe."

Steve

godsbabygirl267 · Dec 15, 2007, 04:09 PM

I think school nurses should be able to sell preventatives to students because if one is already planning to have sex, then they should at least be able to prevent getting pregnant or impregnating a girl.



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