Are parental rights gone?

[Rence]

My concern is with the potentially serious medical effects. No opt-out medical consent form should come home smashed in the bottom of said 14yo girl’s back pack.

There should have been announcements, public meetings in the schools before hand, and a mailed letter with the opt-IN form.

A teenaged girl is medically safer being pregnant and giving birth than on hormonal contraceptives.

I bet you the State would be totally fine with that if the parents of the girl took on the lifetime financial responsbilties that come with being pregnant. You can’t have it both ways: one either takes responsibility and owns up to it, or reliquishes that responsibility onto the State and owns the consequences.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

I bet you the State would be totally fine with that if the parents of the girl took on the lifetime financial responsbilties that come with being pregnant. You can’t have it both ways: one either takes responsibility and owns up to it, or reliquishes that responsibility onto the State and owns the consequences.

A person either qualifies for legitimate state aid under the legal definition or doesn’t. If the problem is that the aid programs are not financially stable, then the programs should be ammended.

Handing out hormonal contraceptives (or even condoms) are not free programs either. In any case, contraceptives for teenagers often means shutting the barn door after the horses have bolted.

I agree that parents need to step up to the plate much more in the way of instructing and supervising their children. My vote for where to put the money used for these programs is into parenting classes designed for parents and starting when their children are in first grade. Helping the parents understand their responsibilities will go a long way toward dealing with issues like underage sex, teen pregnancy, truancy, and drug use.

 

[BlueEyedLady]

A teenaged girl is medically safer being pregnant and giving birth than on hormonal contraceptives.

Not true at all. Pregnancy is actually very dangerous for a teen girl because her body has not fully developed to handle it. Add to that that teen girls are far less likely to get proper prenatal care and you have a recipe for disaster.

Furthermore this is not “being on” contraceptives. This is the Plan B drug which is a one time use thing when a condom breaks, a pill is missed, or sex is unprotected.

 

[BlueEyedLady]

Why is everyone assuming that this is the only thing parents have to opt out of? When I was in school everything was opt out, not in. Parents had to opt out of sex ed, computer use, Tylenol, school lunches, in state field trips, etc. The thinking was that it was far less hassle and paperwork because far fewer people would opt out than in.

And someone brought up that the depo shot is dangerous, and that’s fine, but that’s not whattis is about. Someone else said that this shouldn’t come home as a note in a kid’s backpack, and I agree. And obviously so does the school because it was mailed.

 

[Cristiano]

…I’m sorry but if a 14 year old girl gets pregnant, a lot of the responsibility is on the parents.

You’re getting mad because you don’t want your kids access to contraceptives. I get that. But you do have the right to opt out, so that you’re kids don’t have such access…

You see this is a faulty logic that people and especially Catholics should not use, pregnancy is not a problem nor a punishment. Sex outside marriage is the problem and contraceptives do not solve it, the are a faux band aid. You can give the pill to every girl in school and still have 25% of teenagers with STDs. Giving out contraceptives is using an enabling tool and not a preventing one. I agree that parents have a major responsibility but allowing the schools to follow on those plans is just giving up.
What about the HHS mandate that in some states will allow minors to free contraception and sterilization because the parents must pay for it and they are not asked to give their consent? This is part of the same rotten logic that people with a specific agenda try to put in place.

 

[Rence]

A person either qualifies for legitimate state aid under the legal definition or doesn’t. If the problem is that the aid programs are not financially stable, then the programs should be ammended.

I agree. The question is how do we ammend them to support the amount of pregnancies that need financial support. And it’s not just the pregnancy that gets support, but the resulting child, for the next 18 or so years.

Handing out hormonal contraceptives (or even condoms) are not free programs either.

No, but they’re much cheaper, which makes them more manageable.

I agree that parents need to step up to the plate much more in the way of instructing and supervising their children. My vote for where to put the money used for these programs is into parenting classes designed for parents and starting when their children are in first grade. Helping the parents understand their responsibilities will go a long way toward dealing with issues like underage sex, teen pregnancy, truancy, and drug use.

I think what should be considered is taxing the parents of teenagers drawing from medicaid with the tax designated to go back into the medicaid pot.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

Not true at all. Pregnancy is actually very dangerous for a teen girl because her body has not fully developed to handle it. Add to that that teen girls are far less likely to get proper prenatal care and you have a recipe for disaster.

Furthermore this is not “being on” contraceptives. This is the Plan B drug which is a one time use thing when a condom breaks, a pill is missed, or sex is unprotected.

The program doesn’t just include Plan B (which is a VERY heavy dose of drugs on it’s own), but also depo-vera shots and regular contraceptive pills. So yes, it does include “being on” contraceptives.

Pregnancy concerns for teens depend quite a bit on how old the girl is - there is a difference between 14 and 17 - and how long she’s had her period. Certainly the average 14yo is not going to have a smooth pregnancy, but she will also be more strongly affected by the Plan B drugs. There is nothing good about a 14yo having sex.

However, a 17yo who has had her period for several years, will likely not have many complications from pregnancy and birth. It is true that she might not get good pre-natal care, but she also doesn’t have many of the risk factors that first-time, over 30 mother does.

I do not advocate for teen pregnancy at all. But that’s because I don’t think teen sex is at all a good idea. The goal in my mind is to slow and stop teen sex. That will automatically curtail teen pregnancy, STD rates, and the need for contraceptives of any kind in a high school.

 

[Rence]

You see this is a faulty logic that people and especially Catholics should not use, pregnancy is not a problem nor a punishment. Sex outside marriage is the problem and contraceptives do not solve it, the are a faux band aid. You can give the pill to every girl in school and still have 25% of teenagers with STDs. Giving out contraceptives is using an enabling tool and not a preventing one. I agree that parents have a major responsibility but allowing the schools to follow on those plans is just giving up.

And yet, parents can opt out of this program. It is a good thing that parents who welcome the program can accept it, and the parents who do not want the program can opt out of it. This makes it available to all, but not required. If only all things came with an opt-out.

What about the HHS mandate that in some states will allow minors to free contraception and sterilization because the parents must pay for it and they are not asked to give their consent? This is part of the same rotten logic that people with a specific agenda try to put in place.

It all ties into the fact that the teenage pregnancy rate is high and the State is picking up the resulting cost. It’s cheaper to pay for contraceptives than a pregnancy (and resulting child for the next 18 years). So of course, the State would want contraceptives used, and used correctly. Unfortunately, not enough parents are minding their children for abstinence only programs to work.

 

[RedSoxWife]

Not true at all. Pregnancy is actually very dangerous for a teen girl because her body has not fully developed to handle it. Add to that that teen girls are far less likely to get proper prenatal care and you have a recipe for disaster.

Furthermore this is not “being on” contraceptives. This is the Plan B drug which is a one time use thing when a condom breaks, a pill is missed, or sex is unprotected.

It really depends on how it’s dispensed. When I volunteered at PP in college, we’d give it out in handfuls, along with handfuls of condoms. Friends didn’t usually just take it once. It was an “Opps, I was stupid again, I need to go get a Plan B pill.”

And then they’d be really, really sick for a few days, with bleeding and horrible migraines.

Having seen the side effects quite a few times first hand, I’m pretty frightened by the idea of handing it out to any teen who asks.

 

[jmjconder]

**

I hate to say this, but it’s the fault of those parents who don’t keep their children chaste.

**

Every person is gifted with free will…no matter what their age. The part of the parent is to guide them through the decisions that are not in keeping with the faith.

I am so thankful that I have free will and HE has guided me through the wrong decisions. Parents are no different. Our children often make decisions that we as parents need to guide them through…NOT SCHOOL!

 

[jmjconder]

However, for all other medical things handled by the schools, the process is opt-in rather than opt-out.

This is the essence of this issue. Thank you.

 

[jmjconder]

Not true at all. Pregnancy is actually very dangerous for a teen girl because her body has not fully developed to handle it. Add to that that teen girls are far less likely to get proper prenatal care and you have a recipe for disaster.

I can show all sorts of medical stats that are attached to Plan B…please show me the stats that are referred to here.

 

[jmjconder]

The fact that the parents were notified and given a choice only proves that parental rights have NOT been taken away. If they were taken away, they wouldn’t have been notified and/or wouldn’t have been given a choice. By definition a choice gives one the right to consent or refuse.

**Plan B has multiple side effects. Would you be OK if the school decided to dispense any other life threatening anything? I cannot believe you would.

I can only wonder if this issue has to do with the right of any women to choose?**

 

[SpeSalvi]

If the parents are okay with the school giving them birth control, then those same parents should be giving their children the BC themselves and stop depending on the state to do their (the parents) job.

This isn’t a disaster because they’re stripping the parents of their rights, it’s a disaster because the parents are fine with allowing the state to do this Because they don’t want to parent their children themselves.

 

[Nimzovik]

A* very* valid point.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

If the parents are okay with the school giving them birth control, then those same parents should be giving their children the BC themselves and stop depending on the state to do their (the parents) job.

This isn’t a disaster because they’re stripping the parents of their rights, it’s a disaster because the parents are fine with allowing the state to do this** Because** they don’t want to parent their children themselves.

I think in many cases that is true. Can’t be bothered, don’t know how, aren’t around enough to do it. Unfortunately there are many, many parents who fit that description. If the state is going to intervene anywhere it seems to me that the best place would be parenting classes for parents when the children are much younger - the first few years of elementary.

We’ve always said that you can’t parent from the couch (the old “don’t make me come down there!” threat). Parents who don’t have interest to actually be where their young children are need to be shown how important their influence is at 3, 6 or 9 and how much easier than when the child is 13, 16, or 19!

Parents without the time or energy (because they are working 2 jobs, or ill, or overwhelmed) would do so much better with family support (particularly the other parent of the child!). State and federal programs should be designed to encourage couples to stay together rather than separate (ie, a single mom that does better on welfare than she would living on husband’s wages).

The problems start long before 14yos start having sex, and the solutions need to also.

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

The fact that the parents were notified and given a choice only proves that parental rights have NOT been taken away. If they were taken away, they wouldn’t have been notified and/or wouldn’t have been given a choice. By definition a choice gives one the right to consent or refuse.

That’s a completely different discussion. But for the foreseeable future contraception will be legal. The OP was making the point that this infringes on parental rights, and it doesn’t because parents got to make the choice.

From Article nypost.com/p/news/local/city_schools_plan_UoW7ke5l2KRwg43nHzt97H:

But sophomore Annette Palacios, 15, outside the school with her mom, said parents should give consent in case their children are “allergic” to the drugs.

“Girls shouldn’t be sexually active at that age,” she added.

**Her mom, Pania, complained that she got no opt-out letter **— and does not want Annette to secretly get Plan B or birth-control pills from the nurse.

“Parents should know if their daughter is pregnant,” she said.

Even if they can opt out, I do agree that it is still a bad idea for so many reasons.

 

[jmjconder]

I think in many cases that is true. Can’t be bothered, don’t know how, aren’t around enough to do it. Unfortunately there are many, many parents who fit that description. If the state is going to intervene anywhere it seems to me that the best place would be parenting classes for parents when the children are much younger - the first few years of elementary.

We’ve always said that you can’t parent from the couch (the old “don’t make me come down there!” threat). Parents who don’t have interest to actually be where their young children are need to be shown how important their influence is at 3, 6 or 9 and how much easier than when the child is 13, 16, or 19!

Parents without the time or energy (because they are working 2 jobs, or ill, or overwhelmed) would do so much better with family support (particularly the other parent of the child!). State and federal programs should be designed to encourage couples to stay together rather than separate (ie, a single mom that does better on welfare than she would living on husband’s wages).

The problems start long before 14yos start having sex, and the solutions need to also.

After reading some of the previous posts…thank you for your words and wisdom. I agree!

 

[Rence]

**Plan B has multiple side effects. Would you be OK if the school decided to dispense any other life threatening anything? I cannot believe you would.

I can only wonder if this issue has to do with the right of any women to choose?**

All medications have a set of adverse affects. When taking any drug, one has to weigh the side affects against the benefits. I understand what you’re saying about ABCs, but it’s not for you or anyone else to direct another person’s healthcare decisions. Many people knowingly take ABCs because they feel the intended goal is worth the chance of suffering the side effects. That’s the person’s choice. For example, I get adverse affects from taking lisinopril. I found that the side effects were more troublesome than the benefits. Thankfully I was able to switch to something else. And yes, I’d be OK if any school or entity decided to dispense anything as long as there is an opt out. As long as there is an opt out.

 

[Nimzovik]

Hmmmmmmm… I wonder… How many …what? 14 year olds? Have the maturity to make such decisions… Then there is the fact that a 14 year old is thinking she is pregnant…How? By whom? Hmmmmmmm… just who reports the probable statutory** rape to the* police* eh?

It is a woman’s ‘privacy issue’ to have sex eh? To get pregnant eh? If it is a 'woman’s’ right… Is it a little girl’s right? Methinks* not*** eh?**

What say you? (to all that read the thread)

Don’t ya just* love* Liberals? Don’t ya just* love* Planned Parenthood? Don’t ya just love people that vote for such Politicos that* rabidly* promote such …stuff?