to find 12 years too young for contraception.

[DropItLikeASquat]

was on this morning but came up on my youtube feed.
Apparently its okay fr 12 year olds to be given the contraceptive implant.
WTAF!!!!!
AIBU or is this just disgusting.
IMO a 12 year old can't possibly make a real informed decision about this. Most 12 year olds wouldn't even pass being gillick competent.
and by law any child age 12 or under that is having sex, can't legally give consent regardless of the other persons age.
this would mean that anyone that have sexual intercourse with this girl is automatically guilty of rape as she legally can't give consent.
I don't understand how that child can't give consent to sexual intercourse but can give consent to have a contraceptive device fitted so they may partake in sexual intercourse.
were not taking about girls going on the pill to treat symptoms of periods etc this is to have an implant fitted.
Im shook that anyone would let a child have this device fitted.

Child safeguarding is not entirely the same as competency. An HCP can determine that a child is competent to consent to medical treatment, but their safeguarding responsibilities are quite different.

I think if a 12yo is having sex, or may be having sex, then it's far better they are have something like the implant in place as well as any other help they may need. There's no point saying "Don't have sex" or "You shouldn't have sex" and then not protecting them from pregnancy out of some sort of principle.

Also a 12yo who is having sex is likely to have something else going on - either keeping it secret from their parents, or conflict with their parents over it (since no-one is going to say "Oh ok love, have fun" to the 12yo), or some other issue (grooming/abuse/exposure to inappropriate behaviours/no boundaries) and therefore the implant is a good option as it doesn't require remembering a pill every day.

It's far too young for contraception.

Consequently though, it's far, FAR too young to be a mother.

I would rather have a twelve year old who got herself the pill before knowingly having sex than one who stayed in the dark about the entire act and out pops a baby 9 months later.Of course, I'd rather 12 year olds didn't have the sorts of lives where sex seems like a rational thing to do, but some do and we cannot ignore them and their medical needs because of squeamishness. I'd like to see a safeguarding referral made if a discreet investigation can take place but the chances are, it would just put the backs up of the sort of parents who have twelve year old daughters so desperate for affection that they're having sex, so ...

Yes it strikes me that some of these girls are crying out for a role model to tell them that In fact it is quite alright to say no and that most 12 year olds do not have sex and sex at 12 is therefore not the norm.

I do believe that sexual health clinics should be strongly pushing that stance, rather than just handing out contraception with minimal questioning of the circumstances, particularly in the light of the Rochdale grooming cases where many people in authority viewed it as just the girls’ lifestyle choices rather than them being FORCED or coerced into make that poor choice.

so much of our society is now sexualised that I feel sorry for our children who are pushed into early adulthood without even realising it.

Better contraception at 12 than pregnancy at 12. And I am 100% behind the idea that parents do not have to be informed. Because some parents are the problem - rapist fathers, for example. Or mad superstitious fuckers whose response to discovering their DD was contemplating sex might be to beat her up or kill her.

I agree that 12 is too young for sex and that support and help should be offered to girls this young but refusing them contraception won't stop them having sex and is a greater risk to them than providing it.

No way would I want my DD who is nearly 13, having the implant. I had it and was an awful experience and one of my biggest regrets and that was in my late 20s. I have lasting effects to this day all diagnosed by docs as being direct results of having it.
Totally agree though that perhaps the pill is a better option if needed for reasons such as difficult periods etc...

""No GPS won't make a safeguarding referral. Look up - Gillick Principle
If a child is seen as Gillick competent then the doctor can prescribe hormone contraceptives without informing anyone about it""

The advice and policy has been to refer under 13 year olds to SS. Gillick Principal is overwritten by Child Protection.

If the girl is having sex with another child under 13, then they will just be counselled etc. Over 14 and it changes slightly. Hopefully the intervention may halt sexual activity for a while.

If a 12 year old girl is wirried about pregnancy because her stepfather is raping her the answer is not to put her on the pill ffs.

If a 12 year old child is having sex the adults in their lives are/have let them down.

And actually, there are worse things than a 12 year old getting pregnant. And one of these things is leaving a 12 year old in a hideous, sexually exploitative, abusive relationship for years on the basis that "it's their decision".

A 12 year old contemplating sex is a sign that something is very badly wrong.

Anduinsgirl - if true that you know a girl being sexually exploited I hope you have reported to ceop, ss etc?

The report referenced said underage girls SOME as young as 12 (but I suspect mostly older girls) so not a particular girl being referred to (to my knowledge I don't watch this morning) were being given the implant. There's no evidence it's for contraceptive purposes, nor that it's not to treat other medical conditions. Sensationalist nonsense!

We have a dangerously prudish attitude to sex, conception and women's/girls sexuality in the uk and it's time it was dealt with properly.

At least one pp has said they'd rather their child suffer than risk being on contraception and 😱 think about sex. It was said rather flippantly I wonder if they'd still agree with that if their child - as I was at 13 - was suffering 36 hour migraines, 2 week long heavy periods (Max absorbency tampon AND pad needing changed hourly), anaemia, vomiting several times a day, so much pain appendicitis was suspected on a few occasions. I was put on the pill eventually my parents had no problem with that as they saw the suffering, the impact on my education and on my life generally. I was almost 17 and in a ltr when I lost my virginity. Access to contraception doesn't increase the likelihood of sex.

My problem if it's being used to "treat" gynae issues is that it masks symptoms and means these girls have likely not been seen by a gynae and conditions that could affect their future fertility are going untreated. As also happened to me inc resulting in 3 babies lost to mc and several surgeries needed.

In the case of any underage girls who are having sex I very much doubt any hcp would blithely prescribe the implant to a sexually active 12 year old without investigating possible exploitation, abuse at home etc and raising any concerns with the appropriate authorities.

Op you also seem to struggle to understand the implant has clinical benefits over the pill for medical treatment (pretty worrying as you say you're a nurse) - I believe you're being disingenuous about "I'm not talking about medical reasons" because the figures referenced DON'T SAY why these girls were prescribed the implant.

You're locked in emotionally to pill is ok but implant isn't - why?

Attitudes like the op's result in more harm in my opinion not less.

Also as many other pps have said IF a 12 year old is having sex contraception is better than pregnancy.

Regarding informing parents - not all parents care, the father/father figure might be the bloody problem, you could potentially be endangering the child if parents abusive in other ways, the parents might be wanting the girl pregnant (forced marriage taken place overseas for example

Better stick the implant in as requested, so you have the 12 year old protected from pregnancy while you make the social services report.

Rather than refuse the implant and send the 12 year old off on her merry way, potentially to have sex ANYWAY while you make that phone call.

SS might have to find foster care for two children in the second scenario.

A woman I know would have loved to have been able to get a Mirena fitted at that age without telling her parent. She was being abused by her stepfather. If she had had pills her family would find out she was "sexually active." If she had to get her mothers permission she would have had to either A. convince her mother stepdad was raping her; B. Say she was having consensual sex at 12 (not true and would definitely get her in huge trouble.) If she was able to get the Mirena, she wouldn't have to worry about becoming pregnant from rape for many years, wouldn't have to pay monthly and arrange some way to pick up pills from the pharmacy (she was rural), wouldn't have to hide Birth Control from her mother. Cus you can't ask your rapist to put a fucking condom on.

I do believe that sexual health clinics should be strongly pushing that stance, rather than just handing out contraception with minimal questioning of the circumstances

I used to run one and they all do or should.

Anyone under the age of 13 and sometimes 13 yr olds having sex warrant a referral to Care and Protection.

I worked for the LA abdcwe weren’t allowed to give contraception to under 14s, the sexual health team had to do that.

Im not struggling to understand any principles and I'm a pads nurse not a sexual health nurse, the two have very little cross over.

And I was in geriatrics - I still understand enough to know different delivery systems and active components mean a treatment acts differently - there are lay people that understand that much.

My sister had a baby at 14, so I don't think it's unreasonable. Also many reasons for that kind of thing. Totally a personal choice between kid/parent/ doctor

Surely any 12 year old having sex that they are 'consenting' to is already damaged in a profound way. Something's gone very wrong. Referrals and intervention are needed but in the mean time at least stop another child being involved.
If this was outside the UK, there may be different standards applied and different ages of consent. 13 year olds could be married in the US at a relatively recent time. I assume that's changed but I don't know.

I really object to the idea that 12 year olds 'consenting' to sex are damaged in a profound way. Yes there may be issues there, but the language used is so dehumanising and unsympathetic.

Many 12 year olds do have some sexual experiences.

Aornis marriages like that still happening in usa, there's a renewed push to stop it at the moment but certain groups don't want it abolished and they're powerful groups politically.

12 year olds legally cannot consent to sexual intercourse.

It’s rape.

Crunchymint no I disagree I can't see a healthy stable 12 year old engaging in sex. The law recognises this too.

Talking about children as profoundly damaged is what I am objecting to. I knew as a 12 year old girls having sex at this age. They were not profoundly damaged. Lonely, unconfident and parents they could not confide in - yes.

This is the reality - 12 year old girl comes to clinic and asks for contraception. She is probably already having sex. Of course the doctor / nurse are going to do their upmost to safeguard that child and encourage her not to have sex, to involve her parents etc. She will be discussed with a multi-agency safeguarding team who will investigate where they can.

But if they refuse her contraception - will she stop having sex? No.

If she refuses to state who she is having sex with - who are they going to arrest?

Will it protect her to alienate her and stop her from ever returning to the clinic?

If they inform her parents, when she is competent to refuse that - 1) they are breaching her rights as an individual, 2) teenagers who need contraception stop coming to the clinic and start dying from illegal abortions at home instead. We are talking about socially deprived children. Some of them really do know best when they don't want their parents to find out because their parents are violent and neglectful. Some children are being raped by their guardians. This information comes to light and the child is protected when the clinic manages to gain their trust and engage with them to get the full story. In the meantime, contraception protects that child from an even greater world of heartache and medical risk.

Are you going to solve these problems by refusing her protection? No you are just going to create dead 13 year olds who have illegal abortions, sick babies with no antenatal care, more deprived kids who's parents are barely functioning kids themselves, a child who could have had an education and a future but has baby instead.

Op ofc it is disgusting to imagine young children having sex, but you're coming at this from a very naive point of view. You need to get real. That GP or nurse "handing out" contraception knows a lot more about this than you do.

Do you not think lonely, unconfident and without parental support to the point they're having sex and posting about that on a YouTube account is not damaged? I can't see a positive side.