<p>At my college, students are able to receive free birth control, there is also a really big box of condoms on the desk. I was on a different forum and this question came up, do you think the nurse should be allowed to give students birth control and should parents be notified? This is assuming child is in college, legal or minor.</p>
<p>I’m not a parent, but I am 100% in favor of what your school is doing. Promoting safe sex is important and, realistically, a large majority of college students are sexually active whether their parents know or not. Forcing parental approval is the exact kind of barrier that will stop students from using protection. It won’t stop them from having sex, it will stop them from having safe sex.</p>
<p>Why would you think that parents should be notified? Condoms prevent pregnancy and disease and college students are adults. We have sent both of our kids off to school with a supply along with advil and cold medicine. We said we were not encouraging promiscuity, but we also were not stupid and knew what could go on at college and we didn’t want to be grandparents yet. The wife of our minister told us she and her husband did the same with their son years ago.</p>
<p>At COLLEGE?! Oh I thought this was going to be about something controversial like middle school lol. </p>
<p>Birth control is really the best thing that’s ever happened to women (and men to a lesser degree) IMO. Free? All for it! </p>
<p>Parents notified? No. ESPECIALLY not in college! (though, personally, I don’t even think they should be in high school but that’s another discussion)</p>
<p>i apologize, i copied from a dif posting bc it was miscategorized, i wanted to include high school as well, so anywhere from age 14 and on that should have gone right before “minor”</p>
<p>To me, the potential of kids having unprotected sex because they don’t want to or can afford purchasing birth control outweighs any interest a parent has in being informed. In a perfect world, there would be no need as the relationship would be a close one and the parents would be sure the kid had protection if it were needed. On most campuses, most students are over 18 and legally adults and entitled to their own HIPPA protection anyway. Anybody can buy condoms anyway. Am unaware of any age requirement or ID needing to be presented (unlike some allergy meds). </p>
<p>I believe there are Us that kids can attend where all that is taught is abstinence, if that is what the family and student prefer.</p>
<p>For HS students, the results of unprotected sex and potential pregnancy are at least as devastating, if not more so and I’d really want kids to have that protection. If they’re not close enough to talk to their parents about this, I see no reason the school should have to squeal.</p>
<p>In NYC, condoms are readily available to students at public high schools unless their parents opt out of the program. And as a NYC public high school parent, I never received an opt-out notice.</p>
<p>I imagine any parent who felt strongly about it would make it his or her business to personally go to the school and insist on an opt out notice and hand it to an authority and get a receipt. My kids were notorious for not giving us any number of notes and notices over the years.</p>
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Because Little Johnny is going against his Purity Promise he made back at Youth Camp. :D</p>
<p>I believe the high school vs college stipulation is irrelevant. ALL sexually active people should have a right to protect themselves. Do I believe 14 is too early to have sex? Absolutely! Does this mean I believe their parents should be notified? No. Students should be educated in safe sex practices and the options available to them, not shamed into thinking sex is dirty and unholy. As parents, it’s important to talk to your kids about the risks of sex and the importance of protection against pregnancies and diseases and hope that you’ve instilled enough sense into them for them to be safe. Relying on a nurse to tattle on your kids when they are being smart about sex is not how you should approach it.</p>
<p>We recently started 18-yo D on birth control. She has a boyfriend. We don’t expect her to be a nun. College students are adults.</p>
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Parents don’t have the right to know if their 14 year old is having sex?</p>
<p>Honestly, no they don’t. As an earlier post states, in an ideal world, parents would have a strong and open relationship with their kids and the kids would feel comfortable enough to talk to them about it. Unfortunately, 14 year olds in this country do have sex and many of them don’t tell their parents about it. That should not keep them from safe sexual practices and that should not keep them from protecting their bodies.</p>
<p>I’m not saying a sexually active 14 year old is not an extreme case. This thread is about whether or not parents of young adults should be notified when their children take the offer of free birth control that was supplied to help stop the spread of STDs and decrease rates of unwanted pregnancies. The reality of it is that students in high school and students in college will have sex. They should be having safe sex and anything that discourages them from obtaining those safety measures will only make matters worse.</p>
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<p>Just going to point out that birth control =/= having sex.</p>
<p>Considering the public health benefits of birth control (especially condoms), I don’t think teens should be afraid of getting birth control. Yes, notifying parents will scare off teens. Teens are going to have sex if they want. I’d rather they be protect. </p>
<p>There is not a single instance where an adult should EVER be notified of their ADULT child’s sex life (provided that they are an independent adult- not cognitively impaired)</p>
<p>The people who want to be informed are the very parents who do NOT have open relationships with their kids. If there is an open relationship, there would be a sharing of info between the parent and child, including family values, the emotional and other potential consequences of sex and other issues the child and family wish to share and discuss. </p>
<p>AIDS/HIV still exists and I think it’s important to give children the tools to protect themselves without fear that parents will be notified. </p>
<p>14 is young, IMHO for sex, but I know it can and does happen. It’s extremely dangerous and foolish to pretend it doesn’t.</p>
<p>I do have an open line of dialogue with my kids about sex. </p>
<p>I would still want to know if they were on any medication - and yes, that includes the Pill or any kind of medication that might cause major side effects. Coming from a family where one woman died of pulmonary embolism way too young and another one had this same problem just recently, I would want to know. While the doctors say the risk is low, it is still something to consider. </p>
<p>When I was in college and had a minor operation. I was embarrassed to tell my parent in front of the nurse taking my health history before the surgery. I had complications after the surgery that would may have been avoided if I shared it with the medical staff. </p>
<p>I just actually had a conversation with a dear friend who doesn’t want her kid to go on birth control because she is afraid she will start becoming sexually active. Girl has a dreadful case of acne. I told her that this young woman will still be able to get BC at her college health clinic and MAY already be having sex, regardless of mom’s issues. </p>
<p>It’s a tough call. As for my own kid, when she opted to research those options, I encouraged it and helped her. Because that is what we do, as parents.</p>
<p>Samurai, I’m so glad you have open lines of communication with your kids! I hope you have expressed your concerns about the pill and your family history. I’m so sorry to hear about your family members who have had complications. However, I was using birth control as a blanket statement and was mostly referring to condoms as they are the most common form of birth control that protects against STDs and HIV/AIDS with little to no health risk (barring a latex infection).</p>
<p>Which colleges actually tell parents if their kid is using a condom and/or birth control? At every non religious school I’ve been to, condoms were given out freely.</p>
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<p>Hmm… they’ve always taken my history in private. Not that I have anything to hide, but it’s appreciated.</p>