NYC schools give out morning-after pills to students — without telling parents

[fried eggs]

The Department of Education is giving morning-after pills and other birth-control drugs to students at 13 high schools, The Post has learned.

School nurse offices stocked with the contraceptives can dispense “Plan B” emergency contraception and other oral or injectable birth control to girls without telling their parents — unless parents opt out after getting a school informational letter about the new program.

CATCH — Connecting Adolescents To Comprehensive Health — is part of a citywide attack against the epidemic of teen pregnancy, which spurs many girls — most of them poor — to drop out of school.

JUST SAY NO: Annette Palacios says that at 15 she’s too young for sex, while mom Pania laments not getting a parental opt-out letter.

While Big Apple high schools have long supplied free condoms to sexually active teens, this is the first time city schools have dispensed hormonal birth control and Plan B, which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/city_schools_plan_UoW7ke5l2KRwg43nHzt97H

My concern would be that the young girls are more worried about pregnancy than STDs. An unwanted pregnancy can be terminated. An unwanted STD may be incurable.

[cali]

1. first of all, the NY Post is a right wing piece of dog shit

that shouldn't be used as a source for anything.

Secondly, if parents are being informed and can opt out.

Thirdly, You won't stop young people from having sex by denying girls emergency contraception.

[Warren Stupidity]

2. Your concern is noted.

Oh and...

Parents have been notified about the CATCH pilot program and how their daughters can opt out of it.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn says she supports the program because high school students are sexually active and getting pregnant.

The city says about 7,000 girls get pregnant by the time they reach the age of 17. It says more than half choose to get an abortion.

NYC schools already distribute free condoms to students.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/morning-pills-13-nyc-schools-17307816#.UGCdfI1mTYg

But yes it is important to punish the kids who accidentally get pregnant as an example to others.

[HopeHoops]

3. #1) morning after pills beat having an abortion; #2) Condoms are only 95% effective on both counts.

Yes, condoms are extremely effective at preventing pregnancy and STDs, but they aren't fool proof and I've had them come off or rupture - off for a box of pregnancy test strips. As for the morning after pills, I'd rather have a daughter secretly take one provided by the school than secretly get an abortion - which is not just painful, it's dangerous. And few girls use a condom when giving a blow job (although I've heard prostitutes often do - no personal experience there) and there's no equivalent for muff diving. There are plenty of STDs you can get from oral sex either way.

The drop-out rate for pregnant teens is very high. One of my daughters had a friend who was raped by her boyfriend. She got a restraining order against him and brought the child into the world as a single high-school mom. The district worked with her on self-study and she managed to graduate one year later than the rest of her class, but at least they helped her do that. Inner city schools are usually far more strapped for resources and can't provide that kind of individual attention to those in such circumstances.

Schools also provide counseling for emotionally and sexually abused children. As a society we have a moral obligation to help every child succeed if possible and removing obstacles, especially those of poor judgment, is a major part of that role. Mifepristone is an inexpensive, safe, and effective way of preventing abortions and one would think the right wing would support the distribution of it. Some colleges have vending machines with condoms and RU-486 in them (which I've heard costs about $25/hit). The last abortion I found out the cost for was in 1980 and it was $300 back then and the girl nearly bled to death afterwards.

What really freaks me out are the parents who are against sex ed. WTF is up with that? My mom wanted to keep me out of it in 6th grade and I rebelled, pointing out that I'd be even more of an outcast because of that than I already was. She made me keep my hair short and wear dorky clothes. My dad stepped in and broke the tie. Only one guy was forced to skip it and the jocks gave him no end of shit over it, like it was his fault his parents were idiots. He also happened to be "the fat kid", so that didn't help matters.

Our current district makes EVERY 11th grade student (male and female) spend a week with an electronic baby doll that makes noises and responds to things like rocking, feeding, and diaper changes (tagged diapers, two per doll). It's a pretty powerful tool for pointing out what parenthood is all about.

When my first daughter was born, someone told me "Children are God's way of telling you he never wants you to sleep again." That's still one of my favorite quotes, and quite true. My daughters are grown (well, youngest is ALMOST 18), but I still stay awake until I hear them come home. It's a dad thing.

Sorry to rant, but I agree with the NY schools. It's a major problem and one that can't be ignored. "Just say no" doesn't work for drugs, alcohol, or sex. It never has and it never will.