NYC schools to hand out Plan B to students---Without informing parents

[Itisamuh]

There's no downside to doing this, so they might as well. Still, if they'd force abortions on anyone that can't financially support a child on their own, a lot of problems would be solved.

[poser765]

The issue here isn't whether teenage sex is bad, it's whether birth control should be given out in schools. And regardless of what you think about teenagers having sex, they're going to do it.

This. Also, there seem to be a number of people who think that sex ed and birth control issues should be a family issue...as in parents should make that decision. as Dr Phill would say...hows that been working for ya?

[Waaldo]

Despite what the media would have you think, parents do actually matter in the upbringing of a child (shocking I know). Throwing contraceptives at the problem of teenage pregnancy is like putting a bandaid on a severed limb. The root of the problem starts in the home with how the kids are being raised.

Maybe when a student misbehaves in school the teachers should go to their house and beat their parents.

On a serious note, maybe the shitty teenagers who keep getting pregnant should take responsibility for their own actions.

[Joathen]

The issue here isn't whether teenage sex is bad, it's whether birth control should be given out in schools. And regardless of what you think about teenagers having sex, they're going to do it.

This. Also, there seem to be a number of people who think that sex ed and birth control issues should be a family issue...as in parents should make that decision. as Dr Phill would say...hows that been working for ya?

Ding ding! Winner! If the government can provide a better quality service than the parents, guess what? It should be their job. To hell with parental rights when they're not in the best interest of the child!

---------- Post added 2012-09-23 at 03:49 PM ----------

Maybe when a student misbehaves in school the teachers should go to their house and beat their parents.

On a serious note, maybe the shitty teenagers who keep getting pregnant should take responsibility for their own actions.

They won't, why should they? Some dit gets sucked into paying child support for a good portion of his life, they get food stamps / WIC / TANF / Pub-Assist / AFDC / Sec-8!

[Roose]

Parents do not care for the most part. Odds are the school has a better idea what the kids are doing than the parents.

Parents have their shot at raising their kid to not be a total jackoff. Once they hit the public I think we should do anything possible to keep these stupid kids from having babies. They are going to screw. Like wild animals most teenagers are. No brains, just sex drives.

Put birth control everywhere. Put it in happy meals. Every case of beer or bottle of liquor should have condoms glued to it.

NO MORE STUPID PEOPLE BREEDING SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE BIRTH CONTROL!

[Deleted]

Goddamn it you guys are upsetting me, everyone in the world gets sexy time at 15 except me.

By the time i'm 17 i can forget it for years D:

[Joathen]

Also, for those saying "but the hormones, the parents won't know about them!" I'm sure the parents are real informed about the hormones and additives in the meals they serve their kids too, and how much worse those are for you. :V

[Tankendog]

Where im from, in maryland, if you are under the age of 17, you can get plan b for free from the local health clinic.

I also go to the college tosh.o was making fun of for having a plan B vending machine.

And in the case of a pace like NYC, i say give it out. I would imagine the parent upbringing of many kids was bad or non-existent.

[Sunseeker]

Parental permission isn’t going to stop them from having sex; I don’t see why it should stop them from getting birth control.

Pretty much this. If mommny and daddy saying "no" clearly isn't working, someone else needs to step in.

[Seirith]

It didn't happen to me, therefore it doesn't exist is not a valid argument.

I never said that. The OP stated that "having sex around the ages of 15-16 definitely does have consequences". That statement is stating something a fact, that having sex around 15-16 does have consequences. He/she did not say it MIGHT have consequences which would be correct. Not all teenagers that have sex at 15 or 16 have consequences.

---------- Post added 2012-09-23 at 12:01 PM ----------

Or as I like to call it, I played russian roulette with my reproductive parts and survived, therefor no problem exists.

russian roulette? Hardly, clearly you were not in the bedroom with me and no nothing about me, therefore, your statement is false.

[Shrouded]

Sounds reasonable and a good solution.

[Envisionist]

You can buy contraceptives and plan B as a teenager anyways without informing your parents. You can also go to many clinics as a teenager and get free plan B if you are low income (in some states). why should the school have to inform your parents just because they are making it easier for you to receive emergency contraceptives when you need it? Instead of scrounging for $50 to buy plan B, you can just go to school and not worry about taking it at too late of a time.

And what does telling the parents really accomplish besides potentially get the teenager in trouble? If the parent tries to refuse the plan B, the teenager can get it anyway. It's not like we want more abortions or unwanted teen pregnancies. The only reasonable answer a parent could give is yes to the plan B, so there is no reason to tell them.

[Hoopajoo]

I never said that. The OP stated that "having sex around the ages of 15-16 definitely does have consequences". That statement is stating something a fact, that having sex around 15-16 does have consequences. He/she did not say it MIGHT have consequences which would be correct. Not all teenagers that have sex at 15 or 16 have consequences.

---------- Post added 2012-09-23 at 12:01 PM ----------




russian roulette? Hardly, clearly you were not in the bedroom with me and no nothing about me, therefore, your statement is false.

Yeahhhh not exactly. Something about your path of logic is a bit off here. Now its "You don't know me, therefore you're wrong". I don't have to know you, the topic isn't even about you specifically. It's about the risks, and if you don't think sex is like russian roulette in this day and age then I'd really like it if you reevaluated that statement.

[Bolson13]

Not an American. I think condoms are fine but for medicine etc, i would like the schoolnurse to send them to a real doctor. And explain to them that the doctor has patient confedentiality.

Just to make sure that the kid doesnt have something that could cause side effects. It only has to go wrong once to create a huge shitstorm.

That would be my only concern, that a nurse hands out fairly heavy medicine.

[Neazy]

So your problem isn't that you think it's wrong, it's that it causes a huge shitstorm?

Avoiding conflict just for the sake of avoiding conflict is a bad solution.

[Deleted]

Parental permission isn’t going to stop them from having sex; I don’t see why it should stop them from getting birth control.

Well said, I can't say that I agree...but I don't dissagree either. I think it's a good thing they attempt to keep it under control though.

[StormFX]

On a serious note, maybe the shitty teenagers who keep getting pregnant should take responsibility for their own actions.

I'm seriously starting to think we're going to have to impose some rules regarding breeding. The first child per family/mother is free. Each additional child incurs a fine. Then, adjust the base amount of benefits one receives with one child when on assistance programs to what one would get for say, two children, and have that amount be the maximum. People already on assistance programs should not be having children.

Ding ding! Winner! If the government can provide a better quality service than the parents, guess what? It should be their job. To hell with parental rights when they're not in the best interest of the child!

Um, first of all, with the exception of out-right abuse, parental rights should alway triumph when it comes to the needs of the child. Secondly, it is not the government's job (and never should be) to regulate health care on any level. Government is supposed to remain small and cover only that which the people, through representation, ask for. Nothing more. Politicians should not be deciding what's "best for the people". Ever. They work for us. Period.

[Seirith]

I once did some volunteer work with a girl who at the time was 15. I was also 15 at the time. She ended up getting pregnant after a condom broke and her mother REFUSED to take her to get Plan B. Her mother also refused to take her to have an abortion or allow her to give the child up for adoption which is what she wanted to do. Since she could not drive at the time she ended up having the baby. She did not want the child, was not happy and ended up trying to kill herself several times because she was so unhappy. Her relationship with her mother ended up going down the drain because she resented her for not allowing her to find a family and give the child up. I lost contact with her when we were both 18, she still hated the child and was trying to give it up the last time I talked to her. I don't know if she ever did.

So, am I for the morning after pill and condoms/pill/shot in schools? YES!

I also believe there should be a COMPREHENSIVE sex ed class which talks about STD's, how to use BC properly, the cost of a child etc etc. A parent should not be allowed to force their teen to have a child, something that changes the rest of their entire life.

[Shennanigans]

Whether it is contraception or a tylenol I was under the impression that school could not dispense any sort of medication to students without parental permission. Give all the condoms they want IMO. Obama should be giving away free condoms anyways.

Free condoms are better anyways as they also decreases the spread of disease.

[artemishunter1]

This. Also, there seem to be a number of people who think that sex ed and birth control issues should be a family issue...as in parents should make that decision. as Dr Phill would say...hows that been working for ya?

It works out great. Not everyone has broken family. Our increase in teenage pregnancy is in black broken down neighberhoods, where parents have to do two jobs just to keep roof over head. Teenage pregrency is not a problem in Indian community and we dont' even talk about sex till much later than an american counterpart. yet we don't have the teenage pregnancy problem.

---------- Post added 2012-09-23 at 04:19 PM ----------

Parents do not care for the most part. Odds are the school has a better idea what the kids are doing than the parents.

Parents have their shot at raising their kid to not be a total jackoff. Once they hit the public I think we should do anything possible to keep these stupid kids from having babies. They are going to screw. Like wild animals most teenagers are. No brains, just sex drives.

Put birth control everywhere. Put it in happy meals. Every case of beer or bottle of liquor should have condoms glued to it.

NO MORE STUPID PEOPLE BREEDING SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE BIRTH CONTROL!

Teenagers are wild animals, because there is no consequences in western culture for their behavior. You guys simply accept it.