Linda Ross (second from right) talks about her role as a parent while participating in a community forum on the topic of privacy and teens' access to family planning and birth control hosted by Penquis Community Health Services in Bangor on Tuesday night. "My goal as a parent is to provide them with the tools and resources to be healthy," said Ross. Next to Ross (left to right) are fellow panelists Dr. Connie Adler, chair of the Heart of Maine Campaign; Dr. Eric Brown, a Bangor family medicine physician; Unity College freshman Deirdre Birbeck,18 of Lincolnville, Priscilla Perry, a family nurse practitioner with Penquis Health Services; and Kate Brogan, policy analyst with Family Planning Association of Maine.
BANGOR, Maine — A state policy group that wants to preserve teens’ unrestricted access to birth control is gearing up for a potential legislative battle.
The Family Planning Association of Maine held the first of seven community forums on Tuesday in Bangor to discuss the importance of providing youth with options regarding birth control and reproductive health. The featured panel was largely preaching to a sympathetic choir of about 30 people, but the event’s organizers stressed that generating a coalition of support is paramount.
“Access to birth control will be challenged by the Legislature,” said Dr. Connie Adler, a Farmington physician and chair of the Family Planning Association’s Heart of ME campaign. “It’s really important that we have this conversation.”
The Heart of ME campaign was launched in response to anticipated legislation that would require parental consent before school clinics and other health care providers could prescribe birth control. Sen. Doug Smith, R-Dover-Foxcroft, who sponsored a similar bill unsuccessfully during the last session, has indicated he is considering revisiting the topic. Other lawmakers also may be considering submitting similar measures before the mid-January deadline for filing bills in the 124th Legislature.
Kate Brogan, a policy analyst with the Family Planning Association, said her group’s goal is to build a broad base of support to counteract aggressive campaigns on the other side of the issue. Powerful lobbying groups such as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, the Maine Family Policy Council (formerly the Christian Civic League of Maine) and the Jeremiah Project have pledged support for parental consent in the past.
“They want to reverse 35 years of state law,” Brogan said. “So we want an army of people to be ready to contact legislators and have this conversation.”
Current Maine law does not require parental notification or consent for minors to be prescribed birth control pills as long as the prescriber believes the minor would suffer “probable health hazards” — including unintentional pregnancy — without them. In addition, emergency contraception, also known as “the morning-after pill,” is available without parental consent, along with pregnancy testing and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
Dr. Eric Brown, a family physician in Bangor who sat on the panel, said it’s a no-brainer that teens should have access but added that not everyone knows their rights.
“My experience is that teens don’t have a clue,” he said. “They are just as surprised as parents.”
The issue of parental consent, which went largely unnoticed for many years, was brought back to light when the Portland School Committee voted 7-2 in October 2007 to make a full range of contraception available to sixth- through eighth-graders at King Middle School without requiring a parent’s approval. The vote didn’t sit well with some parents and community members who called for changes in the policy.
Linda Ross, a Hampden parent who sat on the panel at Tuesday’s forum, said all parents want to believe that their children are abstinent, but reality suggests otherwise.
“You can talk about abstinence, and you should,” she said. “But our kids are sexually saturated. Oftentimes we don’t bring it up because it’s hard. My daughters don’t have a choice but to talk to me because I just keep bringing it up.”
Unfortunately, Adler said, most parents are not like Ross.
“Eighty percent of teens who are sexually active would not seek assistance if parents had to be involved,” she said. “That’s a really big problem.”
All of the panel members agreed that open communication is the biggest factor. Maine, which used to have one of the nation’s highest teen pregnancy rates, now has the fifth-lowest.
“Communication is the biggest part of that,” Brogan said. “And access.”
In addition to the Bangor forum, the Family Planning Association of Maine has meetings planned in Augusta, Biddeford, Calais, Lewiston, Rockland and South Paris. A list of locations and times has not yet been completed, but it will be posted on the organization’s Web site, www.mainefamilyplanning.org.
On 12/3/08 at 6:12 AM,
scarletsaint5 wrote:
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I have three boys and have preached safe sex to them from the time they were old enough to listen. They are now young adults. My oldest is 29 and has a 7 year old son. His girlfriend was on the PILL so she said. She was eighteen when my grandson was born. He is the light of my life. His parents are no longer together. All my preaching did no good, not for that one anyways.It did however teach the other two that comdoms are the way to go.
On 12/3/08 at 6:42 AM,
Tikitorch wrote:
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I am very conservative politically, but this lean the other way on this issue and abortion! We can't afford to change this and make it less accessible. We are going to be overrun by teens with children they can't take care of, which will mean these teens (mostly the girls) will find it harder to get a good secondary education. Teens unfortunately are still going to have sex if there parents like it or not, just because it is really the 1 thing parents can't control. I understand why some want to change this law, but the downfall of taking it away will be worse than keeping it.
On 12/3/08 at 6:52 AM,
CandyofBrewer wrote:
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I have three daughters. The oldest is 23. I have preached protection protection protection from the moment they began puberty (at 9 yrs old for two of them) I also am proud to say that they feel safe enough with me to talk about this subject. BUT, if they did not, I would want them to have access to protection such as condoms. There are too many STD's out there and some of them can and do kill. Unfortunately, even in this day and age, we have still got taboos on talking openly about sex with our children. Sex is a natural thing. It is there, and always will be. If we limit a teens ability to get protection, then we are going to have more teen pregnancy, and more STD's. Teens are going to have sex, whether or not we like it. All we can do is teach them responsibility and pray that they listen and follow through with it. So far, I have no grandchildren of my own. So my girls have listened. I am not going to say that they are all celibate...that would be a very blind statement.
On 12/3/08 at 7:21 AM,
gracie wrote:
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Unfortunately, not every teen has a great relationship with there parents, and Yes they are going to have sex. Birth control should be available.
On 12/3/08 at 7:35 AM,
sickntired2 wrote:
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I had a baby at a very young age (still in high school) & I wish I had had access to a Family Planning clinic. The closed one was 80 miles away. I do not regret having my baby, I just wish I could have had him later in life. Needless to say, I PREACH birth control at home. Both my kids feel free to talk openly about safe sex at home. I don't WANT them having sex, but I am not stupid either. My "baby" is now a college student & I know for a fact that he's having sex. I say leave things alone. Don't reverse society.
On 12/3/08 at 8:19 AM,
dandlmom wrote:
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Do you think I would have gotten birth control with my mother or father knowing?!?! No way!! These parents dont know what they are doing. This should be left alone.
On 12/3/08 at 8:32 AM,
Bangorian wrote:
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It's a bad idea to prevent kids from having access to birth control.
On 12/3/08 at 8:53 AM,
kylie00 wrote:
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If a kid doesn`t have a drivers licsense 99% of the kids won`t drive. But giving birth contol to kids is giving them a licsense to have sex. and on top of it the state wants to do it behind the parents back. If a girl is on the pill can she still catch an STD, hell ya and bbring it home to. And what are the side effect from the pill, and is the state going to pay for them too. That is when you look to the parents wallet. preach NO SEX
On 12/3/08 at 11:56 AM,
KellyD wrote:
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kylie00: I think the vast majority of parents preach abstinence. Under the current laws, teens have access to not only birth control, but to condoms and treatment and prevention of STDs. It is unclear from your post whether or not you are in favor of reversing the current legislation granting teens the right to safe and confidential health services or you would favor reversing that and requiring parental notification. The statics at last night's forum indicate that 80% of sexually active teens that currently are getting health services would not seek those services if their parents were notified. That is certainly a statistic that we need to pay attention. Teens may not initially want to confide in their parents regarding their sexual activity for a number of reasons. It is not necessary indicative of poor parenting or a poor relationship. That is a misconception that adults really need to change.
On 12/3/08 at 12:32 PM,
Debra74 wrote:
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You cant compare driving to sex! We can preach no sex to our kids all we want, but once they are out the door we cant control if they have it or not. We can only hope our lessons have been listened to. We are parents to both boys and girls and we talk to them about their choices. I would hope that they listen to us, but if they do not I hope they are staying safe. The best we can do as parents sometimes is hope. There are some kids who cant talk to mom or dad for some reason or another and need to go somewhere. If we make it harder for them to get birth and STD conrol methods we will be looking at an increase of teen pregnancies and STD rates and then another b*tch fest will insue about welfare leeches! I had my first child at 18, my mom refused to help me get BC and we were so careful, so I thought, with condoms. I wish I had been able to get it but where we lived at the time you had to have parental permission at the clinics and that was a no go.
On 12/3/08 at 2:36 PM,
ParkAvenueJoe wrote:
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Simple solution:
If you want your children to have access to birth control without your knowing about it, you sign a form giving the school permission.
But if you are raising your children properly, and you are immune to being bamboozeled out of your traditional and nature-given right AND RESPONSIBILITY as a parent, and believe the commies should keep their filthy hands off American family affairs, then you don't sign your parental rights away to the state.
And if the state gives your child birth control anyway, you then would have the rights to win millions from the state as their penalty for doing so.
Case closed.
On 12/3/08 at 3:36 PM,
thekingofmaine wrote:
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I'm 22, and I have 4 kids, I had my first when I impregnated my sister. she had twins (since we're both twins its more common yah see?) then I had sex with my neighbors daughter when I was 18 and she was 15, she wasn't on the pill so I have a son from that. my 4th kid was born 2 weeks ago.
I'm going on the welfare, in a trailer down by the river.
On 12/3/08 at 3:38 PM,
thekingofmaine wrote:
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Nowhere but maine would this be a leading article in a newspaper. Seriously. OH NOES someone gone done given bc to my 6 year old daughther bwahhahaha :*(
On 12/3/08 at 3:40 PM,
SteveyDee wrote:
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You should of worn a condom when you was with your sister silly. Or pull out damn it. They do say sisters make good lovers.
On 12/3/08 at 3:45 PM,
LonNewman wrote:
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The analogy to driving is stronger if we think about the fact that almost everyone in our country, at some point, learns to drive. We do not let people just get in their cars and start driving, we try to insure they have a minimum level of knowledge to keep themselves and others safe because the consequences of irresponsible driving are very serious. We do not emphasize "techniques" of risky driving - we teach safe driving habits and the law.
The consequences of irresponsible and ignorant sexual behavior are also very serious, but we do very little to help our young people, who at some point in their lives are likely to be sexually active, behave knowledgeably, safely and responsibly. Teaching adolescents the risks and consequences, as well as how to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease is just good humane public health. This is not the same as advocating the teaching of human sexual response in schools and good sex education does not encourage risky sexual behavior (there are plenty of pressures in that direction!). We do have responsibilities to protect ourselves and our children from the most severe consequences of sexual risk-taking. The idea that providing sex education and access to health care encourages high-risk or immoral behavior has been disproven -- the opposite is true. And the idea that fear and guilt will guarantee abstinence has also been disproven.
On 12/3/08 at 3:49 PM,
thekingofmaine wrote:
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i smoke two joints in the afternoon, then I smoke two more at night
On 12/3/08 at 3:58 PM,
momofmatt3 wrote:
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Someone always has to show their intelligence when there is something this serious happening. Some jokes are just uncalled for. No one had better ever give my child birth control without my say so. I am the parent. I am not the best friend or school counselor or Family Planning advocate that is trying to undermine parental authority. I will train my child in the way I want him to be and I will do my hardest to make sure he understands what can happen. I will monitor his shows, his friends, where he goes and who he is with. If he doesn't like it, tough. I am the parent. If he chooses to make a decision that is not in his best interests and something happens that alters the course of his or someone elses entire lives, as his parents we will take responsibility for our child and not expect others to do it. It is my business to inform and teach not someone elses and especially not a strangers. I know that not all parents pay attention to every detail or fear their child has no privacy but until he is supporting his own decisions in every way shape and form, I will be part of everything he does good or bad. Parents need to take responsibility and put the control back in their own hands not in the hands of teenagers who can barely decide what clothes to where or what food to eat let alone whether having sex is the right thing. Get involved in your childrens lives.
On 12/3/08 at 5:01 PM,
truthbox365 wrote:
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My best friend in 11th grade became pregnant by a man she babysat for. His wife didnt know and her parents didnt know. Her mom, who was a nurse, had encouraged her to use birth control from a very early age and actually took her personally to get the pill. You can see how effective that was. The man encouraged her to have an abortion. She contacted the school guidance counselor and was scheduled for an abortion, she was 16. (No he wasnt prosecuted because the law says if your 16 then you can legally consent to sex with an adult of any age, score 1 for the perverts) The couselor wanted to help her and took her to Bangor, during school hours, to the abortion clinic there. With NO parental consent as the law allows. (Field trips require permission slips, but leaving school grounds for an abortion dont) As the doctor completed the abortion my friend began to hemorrhage and ended up being transported to EMMC's emergency department by ambulance. When she got there, they called her parents for consent to treat her for the hemorrhage as she needed surgery. ***They needed consent to treat her to control the bleeding so she wouldnt die or possibly loose her uterus, but they didnt need permission for what caused this damage. She lived, she was lucky, she needed blood trasfusions and has permanent scarring that has made carrying a baby an issue for her as an adult. She had 7 miscarriages before she was able to concieve and carry her first born child to full term.
There are countless side effects from chemical forms of birth control including but not limited to the pill, norplant, the patch, depo-provera, and the list goes on. Do the research! Let alone the v.d.'s, there is risk of heart attack, stroke, reproductive challenges later in life, weight loss and gain, irregular cycles, boneloss, hairloss, breast cancer, high cholesterol and blood pressure, ovarian cysts. How many clinics tell our children about these?
Anything that has the potential to effect the safety and well being of our children should be left to parental discretion. MOST children are NOT educated enough in most cases to make informed decisions at the ages of 11,12, and in many cases in teen years, and this is what is happening. These forms should have to have the consent of parents. This law doesnt make much sense to me. We as parents have a consitutional right to our parental rights & liberties to protect our children and raise them as we see fit. Where does this stop? Right now they do not need permission to use potentially dangerous chemicals and procedures to limit teen pregnancy. Whats next? Are kids going to be allowed to quit school with out permission? Or how about buying tabacco? Maybe if we legalize liquor without parental oversight that will solve the problems with raves? What would you rather have a new baby that may require your attention or a funeral bill?
Though I personally dont agree with children being able to choose any form independent of their parents, if there is going to be a permissive law for birth control, then I think it should only allow passing out condoms. There has to be an end in sight.
On 12/3/08 at 5:09 PM,
truthbox365 wrote:
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Here is a more comprehensive list of complications resulting from chemical birth control:
Eye problems or vision impairment
Gallbladder disease and gallstones
Embolism
Resistance to Insulin
Immune system suppression
Heart attack
Stroke
Breast tumors and liver tumors
Ectopic Pregnancies
Links with certain cancers such as cervical cancer
Blood clots in legs, lungs, heart and brain
Jaundice
Nausea, vomiting, constipation, or bloating
Irregular menstruation and spotting
Breast swelling or tenderness
Decreased libido
Weight gain or loss of appetite
Mood swings, anxiety, nervousness or depression
Changes in vaginal discharge and vaginal infections
Headaches, dizziness and fatigue
High blood pressure and cholesterol
Acne or permanent discolouration of the face
Fluid retention
Bone density loss
Hair loss or changes in hair growth
Enlarged ovarian follicles
On 12/3/08 at 6:05 PM,
lovetheBDN wrote:
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BDN - can you please take off the vile post of SteveDee??
On 12/3/08 at 7:55 PM,
Cathee wrote:
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These laws were designed to protect the interests of the children who CAN'T go to their parents. Most parents will live up to their duties as best they can, but the ones that don't make an effort or are abusive, it is imperitive that some sort of protection be offered to their children. That's how the cycle of teen parenting / bad parenting gets broken. And as much as I would hate to someday find out my daughter turned to someone else to help her deal with her sexual choices, I would be shaken to my core if she were to have an abortion. People don't understand how much damage that can cause, and I would be devastated at the intentional destruction of a grandchild. Providing birth control to our teens is a mixed blessing, but it averts much larger disasters. It's a tough pill to swallow, but one that we need to take for our own good and the good of our children.
On 12/3/08 at 8:13 PM,
mainah_mom wrote:
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i smoke two joints in the afternoon, then I smoke two more at night----->>> thekingofmaine
nice try but it is and i quote.."i smoke two joints in the morning, i smoke two joints at night, i smoke to more in the evening to make me feel alright"
Learn your sublime if you want to quote it..lol
A for effort though
"i smoke two joints before i smoke two joints and then i smoke some more"
peace out. love and be loved
On 12/3/08 at 8:23 PM,
bobby56m wrote:
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Teens should not be having sex. They should not have access to birth control, at least not without their parents knowledge. It's wrong. How would you feel if you found out your 15 or 16 year old daughter was having sex with her boyfriend in her bedroom? I'm sure in most cases, the angry father would shoot the boy lol. By giving them free access, you are saying it's okay to have sex. At least if they can't get it without their parents knowledge, it would cut back the number of underage pregnancies.
On 12/3/08 at 9:22 PM,
Cathee wrote:
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Bobby56m
Would you care to explain how NOT having birth control would cut back on teen pregnancies?
On 12/3/08 at 10:52 PM,
boogyman wrote:
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If the kid ain't smart enough to just go to the drugstore and buy some rubbers, theres no hope for em. No glove, no love.
On 12/3/08 at 11:07 PM,
ParkAvenueJoe wrote:
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.
Cathee wrote: "These laws were designed to protect the interests of the children who CAN'T go to their parents. "
.
Because their parents don't want them to have sex and the little brats know it.
.
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