Should Middle Schools Distribute Birth Control?
Nearly 16 years ago, New York became the first city to distribute condoms to high school students. And in 1991, that was a big deal. But now, as kids start having sex at earlier ages than ever before, middle schools are doling out contraceptives, too. Yup -- students as young as 11 years old can get condoms, birth control pills, and patches from their health center.
While middle schools have been jumping on the contraceptive train since 2002, they're still few and far between. The latest school following this trend is King Middle School in Maine. And while students would need parental permission to use the school's city-run health center, but they wouldn't have to reveal that they're getting contraceptives. However, students obtaining birth control would have to had reached puberty (something many 11-year-olds have achieved) and speak with a counselor. "I think it makes people nervous to think middle school students are having sex. Frankly, it makes me nervous," Principal Michael McCarthy tells the Associated Press. "But there's a small population out there that needs protection."
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