Becoming 'adults' before their time

There was a very disturbing broadcast on several news stations last week about a turn of events at a middle school in Portland, Maine. City health officials proposed a healthcare program at the school which would include contraceptives for its students; the proposal was passed 5 - 2. Now, there are so many things wrong with this picture I don't even know where to begin.

This school system wants to provide birth control to 6th through 8th graders. These students are children, and the school administration wants to give them the capability to practice 'safe' sex. Such an action puts these kids at risk of STD's and a full range of emotional problems, not to mention completely skewing their view of sexuality and morality. It's like giving a child a loaded gun or a box of matches; the school's action promotes sexual activity and promiscuity in children, either directly or indirectly. Moreover, young girls will be more at risk for cancer from hormone-based contraceptives.

At first the health care program offered was all-or-nothing; parents could choose either to make available to their children the full scope of services or none of it. Apparently the school commitee either didn't think to or had decided not to allow families to 'opt out' of providing contraceptives to pre-teen children. On Monday a school commitee member proposed parental ability to block their childrens' access to prescription contraceptives and to limit contraceptives to students who are at least 14 years old. The school still holds to its policy that the students must get written parental permission to receive health services, but under state law any and all treatment - including the distribution of contraceptives - is confidential, even from the student's parents.

The change in policy was a step in the right direction, but 14-year olds are still children. Their motives may be good, but the perspective and course of action is all wrong. Rather than providing contraceptives to prevent the results of sexual activity of adolescents, the school system should be counseling these kids to abstain from sex altogether until they reach adulthood. It's not just my personal opinion, it's a matter of simple human decency. For the sake of our children's generation, we cannot - we must not - give them the capability of adult sexuality when they are still so young.