King Middle School in Portland, Maine will give students access to birth control pills and patches without parental consent after a local school board approved the plan Wednesday, 10-18-07.  So now girls as young as 11 years of age can get on “The Pill” without their parents ever knowing. 

I was talking with my wife about this yesterday and we were quite bothered by this.  With this new plan, a girl could be on the pill which can have some very serious side-effects when it is mixed with certain medications.   The school girl would then never have to tell her parents that she is on the pill.  Realistically, when the mom or dad of one of these girls takes their child to a doctor’s office or the emergency room, a doctor will ask the parent if the child is on any medication and the parent will say “no”.  The doctor may then prescribe a medication that will interact with the birth control pill in such a manner that it could cause serious harm to the girl.  The parent will then be stuck with the stress and anxiety of having a ill or even a seriously ill child and the medical bills that come with that sickness.  This risk also includes side-effects as depression, weight gain, vaginal infections, etc. that are linked to the pill.

I ask you, where is the common sense of the school board at King Middle School?  Apparently the school board of Kind Middle School has decided that the government can do a better job raising children than parents.  Plus, the school board has decided that an 11 year old girl is responsible enough to make major medical decisions - but not responsible enough to go to the bathroom without a teacher’s permission.

Please call the King Middle School at 207-874-8140 and let them know how you feel.