I'm all for this sort of thing, but it's pretty surprising for a middle school. Reading the article, it appears they are trying to be reactive to the high # of pregnancies in the area. It reminded me of something. I'm in the city, Detroit area, and I have cousins who live in farming communities out of state, or in rural Michigan, and even in Maine. Most of them have told me something along the lines of "there's nothing else to do out here." They all end up pregnant in their teens, or married very young w/ a baby 6 months later. All my city cousins went to college, but all my country cousins got knocked up.

Maybe I am a little old school but what ever happen to teaching waiting. I think the school should teach about safe sex, and parents teach morals and beliefs. Why is the world so scary... my kids are never going out. LOL.

I don't think that teachers are "allowed" to teach anything related to "morality" in schools these days and unfortunately you can't rely on many of the parents nowadays, either. However, as far as I know, they do still teach abstinance and safe sex practices. It's just not enough in some areas, though. You can teach and preach all you want, but unless you purchase chastity belts, you can't keep a kid from doing what they want to do. Why not make different options available to them? I would rather my daughter be getting birth control than the morning after pill (and I'm not anti-morning after pill, either) or an abortion...

I hope the children in this case get a well-rounded approach to this all--education AND the tools to prevent pregnancy AND STD's.

We don't usually hear such blatant discrimination from you! So, all of us "country" folk are doomed to not go to college, have careers, etc.? I am sure there are plenty of people who would argue with your point there. Give me a break!

Claire- I'm surprised at you. I was writing about MY family. In MY family - it is true - all of us who were raised in the city and suburbs went to college, and all of those who stayed in the country got knocked up, if a girl, or got one or more girls pregnant, if a guy. One of my cousins got 3 girls pregnant in 2 years! So, I was simply extrapolating from the comments I have heard from my country cousins that there is "nothing else to do" that perhaps way up there in the woods of Maine, it's a similar situation. I said that reading this article "reminded" me of what my cousins told me. Hardly discriminatory and hardly "doomed" not to go to college. Geez - reading too much into stuff.

i would be livid!!!

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I read it as YOUR experience with YOUR family, not as a knock to all "country folk." That being said, this story is happening in Portland, the largest city in Maine. The majority of the "woods" you'll find there is in the city parks. It is funny how people think of Maine as just some rural, wooded landscape where people are illiterate, all wear flannel and say things like "ayuh" and "cah." Even my best friend from college who only came from as far away as Massachusetts was blown away when she moved to Maine for college and found out that the majority of the people here do not fit that above description/stereotype (and Claire, I'm not saying you were inferring any of that, it's just how a lot of people picture Maine). Sure, some of Maine is rural...the further North you go, the more rural it gets. Heck up in "the county"...that would be Androscoggin County, the northernmost area of Maine, they have a time called "Harvest" where some businesses shut down and kids are let out of school to go pick potatoes! However, in more central and southern parts of the state, like where I am, life goes on much like the rest of the populated country. The only difference is Maine lacks good public transportation. Sure, Portland has some and I think Augusta (our capital) does, too, but otherwise there's not much to speak of.

Ok, sorry for the education, gals....now you know more about Maine and how this is probably less about having "nothing better to do" and more about trying to curb teenage pregnancy and STD's due to "raging hormones" and unattentive parents.

My DD was 15 and pregnant with her first son, she just delivered number 7 this past Monday!! I wish someone had given my DD the pill back then, I had NO idea she was having sex at the time, and we were CLOSE!!! Some things they just dont tell you untill its too late!
There are children as young as 10/11 that have had babies!!! So YES, I think its a good thing...

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If you tell your secrets to the wind... Don't be mad if it tell's the trees.

I agree. I thought the same thing when I heard it. They make such a big deal about giving out over the counter meds, having parents sign slips giving permission, but they are advocating giving out prescription medicine without the parents consent. No way. I do not believe that schools should be doing this. This is for parents and healthcare providers, not our schools.

JKatherine - Funny - I've been to Maine as well, visiting more of my cousins. Didn't get to any of the cities. My uncle was a lumberjack who built his own log cabin way out in the woods and one of his sons is also a lumberjack up there now. Mostly what I remember is the woods, clear water, nature, and getting eaten alive by black flies. So, of course, my cousins up there don't live anywhere near the city! I think it's a beautiful state tho.