Braunton school gives pupils contraception
Pupils as young as 14 are being offered
access to free condoms and the morning-after pill at a Devon school.
Braunton Community College is part of a
pilot scheme by the North Devon Primary Care Trust which aims to
make sex education more accessible.
Pupils will only be able to access the
services if they have been through a sex education programme, called
Apause.
Several parents have spoken out against
the scheme, saying it will encourage sexual activity.
Sexual infections
Apause, or Added Power and Understanding Through Sexual Education,
will offer the morning-after pill, condoms and testing for sexually
transmitted infections.
The Primary Care Trust said the aim was
to reduce teenage pregnancies and sexual infections in a safer environment.
About 3% of girls under 18 in north Devon
became pregnant between 2000 and 2003. Nearly half of them then
had abortions.
Meanwhile, the rate of the sexually transmitted
infection chlamydia in the area's teenagers rose by 60% between
2000 and 2004.
Dr Katherine Gronqvist of the Primary Care
Trust said: "Young people can access these services from any family-planning
clinic or from their GP, but their bringing on-site means we're
providing support in a safer environment with better access than
if they maybe have to take buses or travel."
The school said parents were thoroughly
consulted beforehand.
Rally opposition
Principal Viv Game added: "We also gave parents the opportunity
to opt out if they would like. So every parent of every child who
would be able to access this service has had the right to opt out
even before it started."
But some parents opposed to the scheme
said they were concerned the services were confidential, meaning
they might not know if their daughter had been given medication
such as the morning-after pill.
Those concerned are organising a public
meeting next week to rally opposition.
Campaign organiser and father-of-eight
Neville Wheelan, who would be affected if the scheme was extended
to other schools, said the rights of parents and families were being
undermined.
He said: "The consequences, psychological
and physical damage that can be done is something that children
should not be exposed to."
Source: BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4756724.stm
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