The issue of whether public schools should provide contraception to teens, especially younger teens, is a contraversial one, with strong views on either side.
I think there's some common ground however, and I think most people would accept the following:
1 - Ideally, young teens would not be sexually active, but inevitably, some will be - at that young age we cannot expect them all to show a mature restraint.
2 - Birth control is preferable to abortion
3 - Birth control is preferable to increases in young teens having children before they are ready, willing and able to raise them properly (increases in unplanned teen pregnancies has been shown to lead to widespread social problems, including increased crime).
Based on the above, I'll lay my cards on the table - I think schools SHOULD provide birth control to teens, but with the following important considerations (because to some extent the act of making birth control available seems to legitimize or even promote promiscuity, and that perception needs to be thoroughly countered):
1 - Education is key, and abstinence should be promoted as the best solution, especially for young teens. Teens should be given the facts - facts about STDs, the strengths and weaknesses of the various forms of contraception (and how they are correctly used), pregnancy, the financial burden of raising a child, the hard work and social sacrificies they'd have to make if they had a baby, the responsibilities of a stable sexual relationship, the legal consequences of under-age sex and so on.
Abstinence should be promoted as the best choice for young teens, but stable, monogamous relationships should be promoted over promiscuity. Other, milder, forms of intimacy should be encouraged over full sex.
Not all young teens will be capable of making a mature decision, but they should all have been given the best factual information about the possible consequences.
2 - Barrier methods of contraception should be promoted as the contraceptive pill does not protect against STDs. Cultural changes may need to be promoted to make sure any stigma about, for example, condoms is overcome - birth control is no use if it isn't used due to embarassment or it being considered "uncool".
3 - Schools should also provide trained advisors that young teens can turn to, in confidence, to get expert advice and guidance. Teens who feel pressured, either by a prospective partner, or by their peers in general, into having sex should have access to impartial advice on what they can do to take control.
4 - Everyone needs to play their part - parents, teachers, the media and the government all need to contribute to a healthy and sensible attitude to sexuality. It seems to me that parts of the media have been encouraging young teens to enter into sexual relationships - being a young teen isn't easy, and keeping those developing (and perfectly natural) urges under control can be hard enough without additional pressure from film and tv.
I think making birth control available to teens is preferable to the alternatives of a) increased numbers of abortions or b) an increased number of unwanted babies and c) an increased number of unprepared, financially insecure teen parents. And not just preferable for the teens themselves, but preferable for society in general, as these alternatives are strongly linked to societal problems.
Ideally teens should be restraining their urges until they are mature enough to handle them..and their consequences - but in the real world a lot of them won't be able to. Given that, making birth control available, but making every effort to minimise the need for it, seems to me to be the most sensible option.
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