Consider these statistics: 7,000 girls in New York City under age 17 were pregnant last year, and 90% of those were unplanned. Of those unplanned, 64% ended in abortions, while approximately 2,200 teens became mothers. All of this – and these girls are under the age of 17.
These harrowing statistics are part of the reason why a pilot program in New York City is being put into motion, amidst a storm of controversy. CATCH (Connecting Adolescents To Comprehensive Health) plans on making condoms and Plan B – also known as the “Morning After Pill” (which, when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex or birth control failure can stop pregnancy) widely available to students.
How available? ABC News reports: “Last year, Department of Health doctors prescribed Plan B to 567 students. Another 580 students received hormonal birth control pills. This fall, teens will also have access to Depo-Provera, an injectable form of birth control.”
While the program is opt out (and so far, only 1-2% of parents have seized this right), others are in an uproar about schools issuing chemical medication to their student without their explicit consent. On the flipside, some parents are happy that there are resources available for their children, some of whom don’t want to talk to their parents about sex.
If the rate of unplanned teen pregnancies and abortions drops, is it worth having contraception readily available in schools – or is that crossing the parenting line?
Source: ABC News
