I fear more about the long term health consequences by this short-sighted venture then social norms or morals. Birth control pills contain synthetic hormones that suppress the natural cycle regulating the reproductive endocrine system which is very undeveloped in pubertal girls. We know it takes a few years before the body sets its own rhythm after menarche (the first period) - and hasnt' finished developing. Pills are not tested when being tested for safety and efficacy in children and its a huge gamble to nochalantly prescribe them to young girls. Teaching about safe sex would be far more effective in preventing the spread of disease and drug trafficking by pharmaceutical companies.

Conservatives get all worked up about this story, but wasn't it a conservative that suggested that school kids carry guns to school to protect themselves?

We don't let people drive before they are 16 because they are not ready for the responsibility. We do not let people drink until they are 21 because they are not ready for the responsibility. So children should also not have sex until they are ready for the responsibility. Condoms and birth control are not 100% reliable, so oops my 12 year old is pregnant because the birth control didn't work. oh well!

Mychild can't bring an asprin to school but she can get brith control...liberal logic rules again

It's long been known liberals are degenerates with out morals but this unabashed out in the open advocating for sex with 11 year olds is beyond the pale, beyond the deprivations anyone could have imagined.
No wonder you monsters are so quick to call hypocritical anyone on the right; you have absolutely no standards and thus never fail to live up to expectations.

.
Do you really think a minor is going to ask his Mom or Dad, can I have sex with my boyfriend?
Sure sweet heart let us first go get some birth control pills for you!!

Who should be able to dispense contraceptives to minors?
---> http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=735
.

As Thom Hartmann would say "good on" and I say "Maine". A whiff of sanity, or a planned political hornet's nest? These days you never know.

You f**ks are really weirded out from all your drugs.
Why put a kid in a circumstance where they can have sex?
You crazy sob's are ruining the country.
Take care of your children and they won't be having children. Insane!

The legal age of consent in Maine is 14, hence the school system is assisting underage students in breaking the law. Nice lesson for the students.

NEO,
this is for you.

You're daughter would have been treated under "implied consent" if she had had a life threatening injury.

If she was sitting in the waiting room then her bleeding was under control and he injury was non-life threatening.

Emergency Departments triage patients according to severity and then time arrived. Most severly injured or sick get priority.

Hope this helps.

Love ya doll :D xxoo SI

Our tax dollars at work again. Ridiculous!

This has been an interesting thread. I was pleasantly surprised that some leftwingers actually wanted to be real parents and not allow the government to take over parental responsibilities.

Maine has something all of us need and few of us have: publicly funded elections.
About 85% of the State Legislature are elected using this system.
The legislature is made up of ordinary people instead of members of an elite club. These citizen legislators respond to their constituents rather than mega corporations and a handful of kooks.
Sex education and access to birth control is a human right. Pretending your children are not sexually mature and never will be results in skyrocketing teen pregnancy rates and unnecessary misery.
Push for publicly funded elections in your state and you too can have enlightened public policy.

On a topic like this one, I'm afraid my remarks will get lost in the pile, but here goes anyway.

I know liberal/progressive readers like to be in favor of things like this -- but birth control pills with or without parental notification (especially without) have huge health consequences that are not well advertised. It's truly a case of "WHAT THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW."

A dear friend of mine died from birth control use. She was 27 years old. The official cause of death was pulmonary embolism which was determined from an autopsy.

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It always troubles me that the RISK of CARDIOVASCULAR side effects of birth control pills is much DOWN-PLAYED by birth control advocates.
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My friend left behind a husband and a three year old daughter and many shocked and saddened love ones and friends. I am quite sure she was unaware of this factor and even her physician was stymied by her unusual symptoms.

In fact, she became critically ill WHILE in a doctor's office for follow up care in what was then an unknown condition, was rushed to a nearby hospital emergency room less than fifteen minutes away and was pronounced dead a short time afterwards.

SOME THINGS TRANSCEND POLITICS, folks. Anyone using birth control pills should be old enough to understand their side effects and dangers. There's lots safer ways to avoid pregnancy.

Hope the word gets out. For some it's not just a story about statistics, for me it's about the loss of a young life.

My friend was such a lovely, caring young woman and I miss her.

I will be that the PURITANS in the USA will screech over this move.

At least one state recognizes that sex is part of life.

Middle school a little young though?????????