Soapbox

The school that helped a 14 year old get the pill

Aug 29 08:50am

A Victorian mother says she's been stripped of her parental rights after a school nurse took her 14-year-old daughter to a doctor to get the Pill.

The girl, from Geelong's Bellarine Secondary College, had not told her parents she was sexually active. Her mother and father only discovering the medication after searching her school bag.

The school's principal defended the staff member's actions saying they were bound to protecting the students' welfare and privacy.

Samantha Aldridge from Relationships Australia believes parents need to maintain open communication with their children, so decisions like this can be made together. She says it's important for parents to know whether their child is sexually active. This open relationship makes for sensible and mature decisions.

How do you make teenagers turn to you when they need help? What's your experience?

More info
Marie Stopes, an international rcharity providing a full range of sexual and reproductive healthcare services , provides an online guide for parents about talking to teenagers about sex

12 Comments Report Abuse

1. mdskyring - Aug 29 10:42am

I think the law in conjuntion with the children,health, and education has to be changed to let the parents know what is if something important in her life.
Otherwise it becomes unruly and to socialist in life.
M. D.skyring

2. mdskyring - Aug 29 10:43am

3. mickomega - Sep 01 03:29pm

How can a law be passed to punish parents when their children wag school, when it seems they have no longer any authority reguarding their children. It is well and good to be full of idealism, but what is practical still stands the test of time. The school of life is also important.

4. kenningtonroberta - Sep 01 07:10pm

No I'm sorry, its the parents right to determine whether she goes on the pill, nobody else, the school had no right and I'd sue the school , sorry getting beyond the joke, parental rights getting chipped away, the do gooders have ruined the youth of today.

5. stephanie_nttll - Sep 03 07:57am

Not all parents care or listen to their children ,my 14 yo niece got on the pill with the help of her school ,with out that help she would have been pregnant by now ,her father was encouraging her boyfriend to stay the night and giving him alcohol ..Her mother did not give a dam. Get real ,some pare

6. thenewvoice8 - Sep 03 09:17am

the points above are all irrelevant. Simply - by not allowing kids to do this, irrespective of age - you will have more teen pregnancies - and this is no small problem, america at present has figures that show 1 in 3 girls under 20 get pregnant!

Allow people to make a smart choice

7. mickomega - Sep 03 06:46pm

My kids are now grown, and the raising is over. I understand some parents are totally irresponsible, but their kids survive and bring a different perspective to, and colour, to what can be regarded as what is meant to be. Good and Bad is entirely subjective, the 'Smart generation" has a lot to l

8. pluto24@ymail.com - Sep 06 05:11pm

I agree with the school because i beleive that the student and only the student should have a say on who shw tells.

9. ketacraft - Sep 11 07:00am

Someone should give this girl credit for trying to be responsible in this situation. My daughter is 17 now she went on birth control at 15 after asking me. I'd be interested to know why she felt she couldn't talk to her parents about this.

10. kristie_lee_81 - Sep 11 03:43pm

i agree with poster stephanie_nttll....not all parents care and in some cases its better than them going off and getting pregnant.

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