'Pregnancy Pact' Prompts High School to Hand out Birth Control
A Gloucester, Mass., school committee voted Wednesday to allow contraceptives to be distributed at the high school after reports that several female students entered a "pregnancy pact" earlier this year.
Contraception will be available — with parental consent — at the school's health clinic.
Time magazine reported in June that 17 Gloucester teens got pregnant and agreed to raise their babies together. The mayor later denied the pact.
Linda Klepacki, sexual health analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said she has concerns about the new plan.
"Contraceptives may decrease pregnancies if teens use them consistently and correctly, but they may encourage more teens to become sexually active," she said. "Teens need to be taught the truth — that only by remaining abstinent will they avoid pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and the emotional consequences of sexual activity."
Contact: Devon Williams
Source: CitizenLink
Source URL: http://www.citizenlink.org
Publish Date: October 9, 2008
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