- Mother says decision to keep parents in the dark was 'morally wrong'
- NHS Trust defends scheme saying it has cut teenage pregnancies.
The initiative in Southampton to combat teenage pregnancies was criticized by one mother who said it was morally wrong that her daughter had been given the implant between lessons.
The contraceptive implant Nexplanon is 4cm long and is inserted under the skin. A parent was outraged after it was implanted in her 13-year-old's arm
She said she was horrified that neither she nor her GP had been told her daughter had been given the 4cm device.
'I feel really angry about this. I agree that teaching teenagers about sexual health and contraception is very important but this is a step too far', she told the Southern Daily Echo.
How would you feel as a mother if your teenage daughter has been given the 4cm contraceptive device at school without your consent?
18 comments:
Oh my goodness! I would be furious as well. Parental advice/permission should have been asked more importantly because they are minors. That was very irresponsible of the school.
I think more to the point the daughter would have had to agree to having the implant-meaning she had a need for it. Regardless what her mother says, the daughter wouldn't need contraception if she wasn't sexually active so to me the fact that the mother is making a fuss is actually a waste of her energy and she should perhaps be looking a little closer to home for the real problem in this scenario. 13 Year olds shouldn't have sex!! BUT if they are going to, better them be protected than not in my opinion. (great post by the way)
x
www.atwentysomethingmum.blogspot.com
No no no NO! I cannot believe that this would happen. If anyone did something to my child without my permission, they would have a lot of explaining to do, not to mention a HUGE lawsuit! Even if the child did "agree" to have this done, it doesn't matter. At 13 they are still a child, and parents need to be aware of ANYTHING medical that occurs with them. What if a child is on a medication that would interact with this?!
I am horrified!
WOW! Great post.......and scary. I have two daughters and I have to say I would be absolutely furious if this happened to one of them BUT at the same time I would also be looking at ways to help prevent the issue in the first place. 13 year olds should not be having sex period! I don't think the school should have done that without parental consent. It doesn't help the problem it only hides it from the parents that might actually be able to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Of the multiple problems I have with this, the fact is that they are implanting a medical device into my daughter without my knowledge and consent.
Let's set aside the fact the school is deciding that they need to be making the moral decisions for me because they think I am just not capable or have my head in the sand.
What if my daughter has a reaction? What if the site becomes infected?
This intrusion must be fought on all levels. Our children are disciplined for bringing advil to school without a note, and yet the school is implanting a medical device?
Since when is a 13 year old capable of signing off on life changing medical decisions by herself?
She is 13. You have to be 18 to be legally liable for signing contracts and being attended to by a physician without your parents present (I know this because I worked in a doctor's office.)
And yet, because the issue is about "a female's right to choose", it is considered a good and appropriate thing by the schools and other individuals.
This is as heinous as providing abortions-a medical surgical procedure-without parent's knowledge or consent.
The "I know better than you" hypocrisy of these decisions is breathtaking.
When you set aside your moral thoughts about this, the bottom line is the school has decided to make medical decisions for your daughter without your consent, and that is just plain wrong.
Being furious...I totally concur! Forget about the fact that the child might be sexually active for a moment (this is an issue for the parents to address.) Suppose the child had an allergic reaction from the contraceptive, and as a result became very ill or worst died. A lawsuit would be the least of the school's problem. Stop giving children adult decisions to make. There is a reason they are classified as minors...they have parents!
If this is the NHS, remember this is in the UK, and people can claim benefits for years on end if they have a baby when they are a teenager. There are quite a few people like this and it's becoming a burden on taxpayers.
I don't have a daughter but if I did, I would be quite happy for her to have an implant and I think it is a sensible step, and one less thing to worry about.
Oh my gosh! I can't believe that actually happened!! How does someone convince themselves that it's even remotely OK to do?
Good to know. I have a 13 year old daughter--I'll talk to her and make sure she knows about this so that she can be aware not to let it happen to her! Thanks for the information!
I am completely shocked and dumbfounded by this. Ethics and morals aside, it is completely illegal to do this without parental consent. I have to believe it is not a school policy, but an act by one or two employees who thought they were helping. Outrageous and highly, highly unusual.
Ugh! I would be outraged if that happened to my child. A minor is a minor and there should be NO medical procedures of any nature performed on them without written permission from a parent or guardian. I know birth control being available for kids is a big issue these days (at least it was in CA when we lived there). I hope that I'll do a good enough job raising my daughters to know not to engage in sexual behavior at that age in the first place. Sex education starts at home.
Thanks for sharing!
~Rosann
While the thought behind this must be good and pure, the way it has been excecuted is just plain wrong and dumb. I'm not sure of UK laws, but in most European countries after the age of 12 you are allowed to have a say in what happens to you medically or in any other way, for example in custody battles. But still, it's "have a say" not "decide completely".
I think teaching about things is a lot better than just rushing into actions like this, even though it might be a lot easier for the government to have one contraception transplant per thirteen-year-old female than using more financial resources on better sexual education.
Teenage pregnancies and STD's should be treated as an equal "threat" for an adolescent and while it is sad to not know better and get pregnant at a young age, an STD could, at worst, kill you.
I am a parent of 3 girls and one boy. If it had been my daughters I would be furious. These schools today are just doing things that are way out of line. I always felt that sex education needs to be given by the family and only the family. This way you monitor how much information you choose to share and at what time in your children's lives you want to give it... Teen pregnancy is not for the school to control but the parents. These schools act like they have to support these children... Stop giving so much information to our children and let them be innocent for as long as they can.
I am a parent of 3 girls and one boy. If it had been my daughters I would be furious. These schools today are just doing things that are way out of line. I always felt that sex education needs to be given by the family and only the family. This way you monitor how much information you choose to share and at what time in your children's lives you want to give it... Teen pregnancy is not for the school to control but the parents. These schools act like they have to support these children... Stop giving so much information to our children and let them be innocent for as long as they can.
Good to read what every other mom is thinking about this. Thanks for your positive contributions, and we still wait to read what others are thinking about this topic.
and just think...they can't give them tylenol without parental permission.....
I am all for contraceptives being availalbe. However, I would be livid if my daughter was given any contraceptive--especially an implant--without my consent. There are so many recalls with contraceptives these days. Safety would be my primary concern.
This is horrifying! This is one of the reasons I will be home schooling. The school system thinks they can over rule parent's authority, discipline, and moral upbringing. This story is outrageous...thanks for sharing!
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