Where Do We Draw the Line Between Government and Parents in the War on Teen Pregnancy?

February 9th, 2012 - By Brande Victorian

Access to condoms, STD testing, and family planning information and treatment without having to go through parental channels has been great for young girls in many ways. Some teens can’t talk to their parents about certain things and others don’t truly have a parental figure in their lives to seek guidance from so it’s been very beneficial to have services available in schools or through other social organizations that can fill the void when needed.

But there comes a point when boundaries are pushed too much and parents are kept too far out of the loop, and that line has been crossed in the UK. A government program there allows teenage girls to receive birth control implants at school without their parents’ knowledge and consent, and some parents are outraged—as they should be.

More than just the blatant disregard for parental rights, parents are also concerned about their daughters’ health. Implanon, the 3-inch long plastic matchstick that’s surgically installed beneath the surface of the skin under the arm, is effective for up to three years, and according to one mother, the device was placed in her daughter without any consultation with her family doctor, she simply filled out a short medical history.

Parents say they’ve had to search their daughters underarms to determine whether they’ve been implanted and that their right to protect their children has been taken away, while other opposers like the Family Education Trust believe this method will cause teens to be even more sexually reckless. The latter concern is similar to those who believe teaching anything other than abstinence will cause teens to be promiscuous which is naive, but the parents have legitimate concerns.

At the age of 13, the age which the schools will implant these girls, teenagers are not in a position to make a long-term decision about their health, not just sexually, but overall. Hormones in birth control can have long-term effects and it’s important that girls know just what their signing up for when they receive these implants. It shouldn’t be the case that teenage girls only seek resources when they are in trouble–such as abortions or emergency contraceptives, but I don’t think parents should be kept out of the discussion when it comes to an eighth grade girl who is considering becoming sexually active. It’s also not clear whether any type of education accompanies these procedures and that’s just as important as the implant itself because birth control does not prevent STDs.

The attitude from the school system, and even a number of commenters on an article Jezebel wrote on the subject seems to be prevent teen pregnancy by whatever means necessary. The government reports that teen pregnancy has in fact been reduced since the program has been introduced, but there may be other consequences to giving a 13-year-old too much freedom over her sexual life at that age. Ultimately it’s a parent’s job to protect and guide their child in all areas at that age and a school system shouldn’t take that away.

What do you think about this program’s policy of implanting birth control in teens without parental consent? Should the US adopt a similar program since it’s effective?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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  • MixedUpInVegas

    Teaching morals is, of course, a primary parental duty.  But we need to do more as parents.  We need to prepare our children for independent adulthood.  Part of that is helping them to understand their sexual nature and responsibilities. The have to understand how to control their natural urges and how to take care of themselves to prevent diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Being able to understand their spirituality is just as important as understanding their sexuality.  Those things are parts of their being and something they will have to contend with for the rest of their lives.

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  • Tarah

    Maybe if parents would raise their children and teach them morals and values the school system would have to step in to keep these little fast asses from becoming knocked up. I say parents should down right scare their female children into not partaking in sex. Tell them how evil little boys are, show them the struggling teenage mom or mother’s in your family, go to the menial jobs that most teen moms work at and ask your female child if that is where they want to be in 10 20 years. When I was in high school (late nighties) one female got pregnant in school and she never came back. She was so embrassed (as she should be). Couldn’t face her classmates. Actually when her dad found out she was having sex, he pushed her down a flight of stairs. It didn’t work, she ended up preggo just like her older loser sister. Poor thing. My point is parents have to scare the sh*t out of these teen girls, protect them, cherish them, tell them they are worth more than what is between his legs.

  • IllyPhilly

    16 and pregnant, teen mom, and whatever else is out there brings it to the fore front, but it’ll never touch a true teen parents life. the teen parents I know had mom and grandmom and welfare to back them raising the kids so they had an outlet. I say China is on the right path and we should have licensing for parenting.

  • Ms_Sunshine9898

    This is madness. This is why parents need to be apart of their children’s lives because if the government gives them a free pass to run around and have sex without their parent’s knowledge then what else are they doing?

  • rj

    if parents took a more proactive stance with their children and sex ed then maybe the govnt wouldnt have reason to intervene. Parents seem too busy with their own lives to worry about they kids. imo

    • SheBe

      Totally agree. Plenty of “parents” have left it up to the system to raise their children. They are too caught up in the “I need to do ME” mantra. It stopped being about you at conception. On the topic at hand I think it is as wrong as wrong can get. I believe this in turn will make teens believe that it’s ok to sexually active. Have they forgotten about diseases? KIDS is not the problem to worry about. It’s AIDS!

  • Roxy

    As a parent, I dont believe it’s the school’s nor the governmen’s job to raise my children.  Once we let the government take over our duties we end of with kids like…well like the ones we have today..disrespectful and unprepared to congur this world.  I wish more parents would open their eyes and see what is going on.  Stop relying on the schools to parent.  Simple things like making breakfast and eating at the table every morning will make a difference in your household.  Dont leave things like that to the school.  Our kids are not cattle.  Sorry, for going off topic.  But, our children need us and schools have no right to provide any chemicals, birth control or otherwise, to our children.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003085266535 Courtney Small

    This is a tough one. On one hand kids are having sex at younger ages then they used to. But I know if I were a parent all heck would break loose if I found out that this was happening to my child. As much as I hate to say it I have to side with the school While it is true abstinence must be taught at the end of the day kids are gonna do what they want. At least this is better then secretly preforming abortions against parents consent. 

    • Pivyque

      That is true. It does reduce pregnancy rates, BUT why not hand out condoms? They are teaching these young girls that pregnancy is the only thing they need to worry about. If they want the kids to have a handle on birth control, they should provide condoms without parent’s consent and the birth control with the parent’s consent.

      • MeMe

        That’s true! Pregnancy is definitely far from the worst consequence of unprotected sex.

        What about HIV/AIDS?

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  • Dancer

    The UK is very Big Brother and we have to remember that dont have the same rights as Americans, including freedom of speech.  Also, it’s against the law to hit your child in the UK.  That is why the UK is going to hell in a hand basket.  Same sex marriage is legal and atheist and Muslims run that country.  So this is to be expected.  It’s all a calculated plan/  And it’s coming to the US soon enough.

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