Are all school nurses now encouraging teenage girls to have the contraceptive implant?

[idohopenot]

Apparently the dc's school nurse is really keen on them having it, and claims the government wants all school nurses to push it strongly, to bring down the nation's high teen pregnancy rate.

Is this the case in your dc's schools?

I had only heard of it in Southampton, and thought it was a trial, not a new national policy.

[idohopenot]

I'm really upset about it, on many many grounds, not least that the boys will pressurise the girls to go and get the implant from the school nurse, and that will become the peer group norm for the girls, which no girl will want to deviate from.

So nice for the boys not to have to bother with condoms, though.

And no need for any parents to know a thing.

And the nurse seems so damn gung-ho about it.

[littleducks]

I wouldn't be happy about it. I would really worry about the effect on STD rates, which are quite high among young people. It also sends the message IMO that contraception is the girls concern, which I think is unreasonable.

[idohopenot]

Yes, exactly.

I just can't see most boys being prepared to use a condom if the girl has an implant.

And I can't see most girls insisting on a condom.

So yes, STD rates are bound to go up, aren't they?

It is so mad.

[Beachcomber]

I would be writing to the school to enquire about this and definitely making a compliant if it is in anyway true.

Absolutely not on.

[Beachcomber]

oops complaint.

[SardineQueen]

I am really surprised at this. Do you have any links? Or just what this nurse told you?

There are so many issues with this
The ones you raise about it becoming the norm
Pressure to have sex
No condom use

Plus the additional concerns about long term hormonal contraception in developing girls. Lots of people have side effects from hormonal contraception, lots of people have concerns about the way females are basically stuffed with hormones from puberty to grave. At least with the pill if it doesn't agree with you, you can just stop taking it.

[idohopenot]

I only have what the nurse told me.

As you say, there are so many issues.

One of the more minor ones that bugs me is the notion that pregnancy in older teens - ie 6th formers - is the worst thing that can happen to anyone, ever. To me, it would be worse if the dds caught HIV because of failure to use a condom.

But more importantly, it's like the school - yes, the school - is putting pressure on the girls to have sex. Whether they like it or not.

[idohopenot]

There's this report from the (sorry) Daily Mail: here.

But it only mentions Southampton.

[Nyac]

How about vasectomies for the boys?

[Nyac]

Or, you know, take away their porn.

[SardineQueen]

Oooh nyac you know that post is going to be quoted all over MRA sites from here to kingdom come

[Nyac]

I do my best!

[idohopenot]

Well, some kind of teaching about how boys don't always have to have what they want when they want it wouldn't go amiss.

Instead of putting implants in the girls.

[idohopenot]

Maybe I should suggest to the school nurse that vasectomies for the boys, without telling the parents, would be preferable and less damaging to society.

[swallowedAfly]

this is shocking. so this would be done without bothering to inform or ask the parents?

are we meant to just go along with the pretense that this isn't a medical intervention that requires consent??

[Nyac]

The worst thing about this is that it's not about teenage girls acting responsibly when they are in sexual relationships and going for contraception, it's a group of adults pushing their own solution on to them for their own interests (getting the teenage pregnancy rate down)

These implants have lots of side effects, yet they want to put them into girls' still growing bodies. It's wrong on so many levels.

And yes they could tackle the culture where boys and men are having sex with 13 or 14 year old girls, but they aren't going to.

[swallowedAfly]

it's ridiculous isn't it - given condoms can prevent pregnancy and disease and have no nasty side effects and don't involve painful or long term penetration of the person the bloody obvious answer is to drag the boys in and give them free condoms and scare the hell out of them with pictures of diseases.

but no, we don't give a fuck if boys are infecting girls with diseases we just don't want to end up paying for some teenagers baby so stick an implant in her.

ffs.

[idohopenot]

Yes, honestly - I wouldn't be so upset if I thought the nurse would just - as a last resort - put the implant in a girl whose life was a complete mess which would be horribly exacerbated if she had an unwanted pregnancy.

No, this nurse actively wants our girls to have the implant. She sees them as a good thing.

[swallowedAfly]

i reckon you should raise awareness amongst the parents and then request an open meeting with the head and the nurse etc for a parent consultation. there's no way this should be being steam rolled in on an agenda without consulting parents.

[idohopenot]

Swallowedafly, it's all about patient confidentiality, which applies from age 13. Apparently.

If the girl's parents would oppose the implant, even thought the girl has been persuaded by the nice nurse, that shows they are bad parents.

[idohopenot]

Yes, I will have to muster support.

Can't have the dds taken into care.

[swallowedAfly]

it is odd isn't it that pregnancy is seen as the worst outcome - realistically you get pregnant and you can have an abortion or have a baby and keep it or have it adopted. none of the options are unproblematic but there ARE options.

catch herpes and you've got it for life. catch HIV and it could actually kill you.

pregnancy is not the worst outcome and making girls feel like they're safe if they can't get pregnant is totally irresponsible

[swallowedAfly]

sorry to say it but this is one of those times i feel glad i have a boy.