OK -- what's stunning to me is evidently ho-hum to many, although at least there is a slight stir about this story.
But the researchers said that the overall rate of oral contraceptive use among girls aged 10 to 16 remained low, despite the medical and social concerns about the sexual health of teenagers.
LOW???
Lets imagine: fifty-something, grandfatherly doctor doing check-up on eleven year old blond girl in paper wrapper and braces on her teeth, little feet swinging down from exam table, chatting with him about her soccer game and new kitten. What is he thinking as he hands over a prescription for birth control pills -- to whom -- her mother? her grandmother? Her fifth grade teacher?
Now the argument in favour of dispensing the Pill is this:
A spokesman from the BMA said that if the girl was determined to be sexually active then, given the risks of pregnancy and abortion, it might be the doctor considers giving her the Pill "the lesser of other evils".
When an eleven-year-old insists on anything against her best interest, it's time for her to be sent to her room and grounded until she sees reason. NOT appeased with access to dangerous hormones and making herself available to men pressuring her for sexual relations.
Will the rational adults in these situations please step forward?
If you have brought a daughter in the High School years into the doctor's office for a "sports Physical" lately, you may have come across this warped mentality! You know the kind...a single sheet of paper to be filled out by a physician...giving just the very basic health information. I was appalled a few years ago when I brought my 9th grader in for a routine physical for sports. She was drilled by the female doctor about her level of sexual activity again and again during the course of the "physical". My daughter had asked me to accompany her into the room as she was modest and shy. I of course said yes. It was clear that the doctor had a problem with this. She ignored my presence and after my daughter said for the 3rd time that she was not sexually active...this doctor told her to "call me if you want to talk privately, and I can set you up with contraceptives for when you are ready."
I had not said a word yet...letting my daughter stand her own ground. But at this last comment I had to speak up. I told the doctor that I could not see why she was so intent on getting contraceptives into the hands of a girl who so clearly did not want them. Boy did the claws come out!! She told me that every girl DESERVES this information. I asked when it became the job of a doctor to force contraceptives on young women, and she stalked out.
Later in the hallway she approached me and "apologized" by informing me that many girls NEED this information and are afraid to ask for it in front of parents. Again I asked when the change had taken place that allowed her to not simply inform my daughter about this issue but to make her feel stupid because she wasn't sexually active!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say we did not return to her.
This really opened my eyes to the pressures coming even from their doctors to engage in sexual exploration at earlier and earlier ages. This doctor showed disdain for my rights as a mother, and my daughters right to choose a chaste lifestyle.
My daughter was not unaware of the prevalence of sexual activity among her peers. I regret the damage done by this doctor in reinforcing a message already coming from her peers...chastity is stupid...outdated, etc. It led to discussion and although I wasn't surprised to hear about the pressure my daughter experienced daily regarding this issue...it saddened me to realize how hard the schools and medical fields were making it for chaste girls!
Posted by: Ruth Skopek | Friday, 13 May 2005 at 08:51 AM