13-Year-Old Girls Given Contraceptive Implants at School Without Consent of Parents

There may exist a rule of patient-child confidentiality, but it just doesn’t seem right that such important information would be withheld from the parents. What makes it even tougher to comprehend is that this service is all done at school.

Girls as young as 13 are being given contraceptive implants at school without their parents’ knowledge.

Nurses insert devices into their arms which temporarily prevent pregnancy by releasing hormones into the blood.

Last year 1,700 girls aged 13 and 14 were fitted with implants, while 800 had injections which have the same effect.

The 2010/11 NHS figures also show that 3,200 15-year-old girls were fitted with implants, and 1,700 had injections.

But under strict ‘patient confidentiality’ rules, staff are banned from seeking the permission of parents beforehand – or even informing them afterwards.

Both forms of contraception can bring on unpleasant side-effects including weight gain, depression, acne and irregular periods.

The jabs have also been linked to bone-thinning, although experts say fractures are unlikely if they are used only for a short time.

The implants and injections are being offered to girls in nine secondary schools and three sixth form colleges in Southampton under a scheme run by NHS Solent. The sexual health clinics also offer other forms of contraception, advice and tests for infections.

I think the patient/child confidentiality should have loopholes and shouldn’t include children under the age of 16. As parents, we have the right to be informed and the right to overrule. People might say that this is a very important service against unwanted pregnancies. That may be so. But in my opinion, the best way for 13 year-olds to avoid unwanted pregnancies is to allow the parents to do their job. The best remedy against teenage pregnancy is vigilant parenting.

Tags: contraceptive implants, Education, Family Planning Association, Girls, Health, injection, life, Medicine, Nadine Dorries, Natika Halil, News, NHS Solent, Nursing, Parenting, Parents, patient confidentiality, Politics, Pregnancy, Sex

This entry was posted on February 8, 2012 at 11:36 pm and is filed under Parenting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “13-Year-Old Girls Given Contraceptive Implants at School Without Consent of Parents”

John Tapscott Says:
February 9, 2012 at 7:41 am | Reply
In our corrupt society concepts of right and wrong have no meaning. Pragmatism always trumps morality.
- Michael G. Says:
  February 10, 2012 at 1:57 am | Reply
  It certainly does John.

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