Maine School Defends Birth Control Program

(CBS/AP)  School officials on Thursday defended a decision to allow children as young as 11 to obtain birth-control pills at a middle-school health center, saying the new policy is aimed at a tiny number of sexually active students.

King Middle School will become the first middle school in Maine, and apparently one of only a few in America, to make a full range of contraception available, including birth-control pills and patches.

Students would need parental permission to use the city-run health center in the school, but they would not have to tell them they were seeking birth control.

"People I associate with are looking at me like, are you guys crazy? Is this really going to happen in Portland?" said school committee Chairman John Coyne, who opposed the new policy in the 7-2 vote by the Portland School Committee on Wednesday night.

There are no national figures on how many middle schools provide such services. Most middle schoolers range in age from 11 to 13.

"It's very rare that middle schools do this," said Divya Mohan, a spokeswoman for the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care.

This week, the health center asked the committee to make birth-control pills available to high school-aged students who were still in middle school and unable to access the contraception available at the high school, said Portland School Committee member Robert O'Brien.

School officials said five of the school's 510 students would have qualified for the birth control under the program last year.

"As a parent, I would hope that my child would come to me first," school committee member Sarah Thompson told CBS News. "But if she doesn't feel comfortable, then I know that there's somebody there, and a support system in place for them to be able to talk to somebody."

The head of Maine's Roman Catholic diocese is expressing shock at the Portland School Committee's decision to make prescription contraceptives available to middle school students without parental permission.

Bishop Richard Malone said the decision will inevitably lead to more sexual experimentation among younger children. It also sends a message that the government should replace parents in certain parts of a child's life, even without the parents' knowledge, he said.

"I join the number of parents who have expressed their outrage and disbelief at the decision which affects young girls aged 11 to 14 years old," Malone said. "When contradictory messages are given to children from important authority figures such as parents and school officials, it can create more confusion and difficulty for children themselves in making this important life decision."

O'Brien, whose district includes King Middle School, said the notion that young children can now easily get birth-control pills is flat wrong.

"They don't just have a giant punch bowl full of pills," he said,

The birth control will be given out only after extensive counseling, and no prepubescent children will get it, O'Brien said.

But Coyne said a physically mature, savvy 11-year-old could get the birth control once the permission slip to use the center is signed.

"I think she could navigate the system," he said.

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[michellem99-2009]

I wanted to use my legla name Michelle on some site.. My mame was blocked. I asked Why..The lady said Michelle has the word HELL in it. Their sofeware blocks as they feel kids will see hell in my name. I boycott their building parts in stores. What ones I have paked them up and them in storage. Michelle is the female form the male name and afther the angel St Michael.

[michellem99-2009]

It is their software,

[michellem99-2009]

They ouaght not give out any meds to a child as they could kill him''her. I have always gotten charlie horses in my legs and feet and still do.they hurt. Is there any thing parents can do to make sure they don''t give yer child birth control..Like sign a paper as a Mum did raise good points. I would not allow it..I am just a pay person.

[missygurl1]

Why does CBSNews **** out the correct names for body parts and the work s***e****x???These are not vile or offensive words. I have seen far more offensive words published.... (Every man well mostly lol) has a p *n*s

[missygurl1]

I see both sides on this issue, But would not want anyone giving my 11 year old b/c. There are so many reasons. I have an open relationship with my child we talk about anything that has to do with ***, and answer questions. I am always going over situations and senerios, which we plan out and talk about. What about the blood clot issues? if my child was on this and had cramping in her calf or could not straighten it out I may thing muscle spasm or sports injury instead of blood clot. I know you do not have to be informed about med. info such as b/c pills this disturbes me. Then there are people whom are not responsible in talking with their kids who are getting std''s and think that just because their *** starts to mature or it feels good its on!So this plan would/may be beneficial for them. My cousin who does not smoke drink is thin has great b/p almost died one day due to blood clots, so it is a scary slop when you are not informed what your kids are not doing or takin. I never slep around or had *** till I was married at 22, I tell my children I hope they do the same. It is hard but very possible.not braggin here just saying put standards up for your kids tell them you have faith in them but if they fail try again and let them know they can come to you with out judgement because Everyone makes mistakes.

[michellem99-2009]

I mean by free I am not in a cage.

[michellem99-2009]

erasmus6,Dear Yer make a good piont. We don''t have the freedoms yer talking about as the govt has us where it wants us. If we take a stand against than we are threated with lock up.I don''t care about guns you know that. It is not lazy but told what we can/can''t do. I speak my mind I am told if I wish to remain free from what ever they may do I best roll with the program...

[erasmus6]

One thing that I have noticed in reading the articles on this website over the past months is that the people in the U.S. are OBSESSED about being FREE and in CONTROL. You panic at the thought of loosing your guns. Alot of you are totally against universal health care because you are afraid it takes away your "control" or something. The problem is you have a completely distorted view about what universal health care is. Of course what the U.S. thinks universal health care is and what our healthcare is here in Canada, may be two different things.

Now for people that are so obsessed with FREEDOM and being in CONTROL, I have never seen people so far away from the freedom as you in the U.S. Is freedom HAVING to have a gun to protect yourselves? Is freedom having to worry constantly about your medical or lack of? Is it having to pay an arm and a leg for your medications?

And now there is this thing about the birthcontrol. You don''t like the fact that they are taking the control out of your hands, yet you never really had control of the situation anyways or your children wouldn''t be getting pregnant and catching diseases to begin with.

None of you have any control over anything. Your government controls you. The people have no say. I am starting to think the reason for that is a lot of you are very lazy and are not doing what needs to be done. You aren''t taking care of your kids and you are also not standing up to your government and making it clear what you want.

[bhappy2-2]

Maybe it has something to do with the story AP is reporting concerning teachers molesting their students. They report that the law in Maine requires confidentiality about teachers investigated for molestations.

[batmanhatguy]

They shouldn''t be enabling these children to commit a crime (*** under the age of 14). There are serious ethical issues with that. Children ought to be taught that it''s illegal. The government has already conclusively decided that minors are NOT competent to engage in that kind of activity with an adult (this is why statutory rapists and pedophiles are put in jail), and yet now they''re implying that 12 year olds are competent to make the decision to engage in sexual activity with each other? This is inconsistent.