The sexual health of children is being once again a topic of
discussion, this time between parents and teachers of Maine
school district.
Parents and school officials are preparing to battle tonight
in a debate about the sexual health of children at one Maine
school district.
Administrators at a Portland
middle school are considering a bold proposal that would allow students to
access a broader range of contraceptives from the school's health center. King Middle
School's health center already provides condoms
as part of its reproductive health program, implemented after five of the 135
students who visited the center last year reported being sexually active.
Prescriptions for birth control pills and patches would be
included in the new measure, which has become a lightning rod for controversy
in the area.
The school's female students are in grades six to eight and range from ages 11 to 13.
The students will need a parent's written permission to
access any services provided, but they would not have to disclose which service
they receive, a point of contention for some.
One argument though, could be that the plan makes it too
easy for girls to have sex and takes power away from the parent, a sentiment
some parents agree with.
"I don't think I would want my child in middle school
to be getting birth control pills unless I had something to do with it,"
one woman said.
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