Birth control distributed to middle schoolers. . .

. . . without parental consent. Though the kids have consent to seek healthcare in the school clinic, they wouldn't have to have it to get a prescription.

I think the story speaks for itself pretty well, so I'll go ahead and ask the question. It makes sense that they would want to do this alongside giving condoms out as health promotion, but I think giving sexual autonomy to 11- to 13-year-olds is a slippery slope. I am all for teaching them about safe sex and supporting it; I think this a no-brainer. But at 12-ish years old, should the parents not have some knowledge that their son or daughter is planning to have sex? Maybe it'd be good for them to open up a dialogue and teach their own children about this?

At the same time, people may try to argue the other side, that these kids have the right to confidentiality. But how much should they really have while they are under their parents' roof? When a parent is legally and financially (not to mention emotionally) responsible for another life, they are the ones with a right to know everything about it.

But that's not the point. I think the issue here is that kids should be able to talk about these things with their parents. Sure, many parents don't want their kids having sex at age 12, and I think that's fair. But at the same time, the kids shouldn't be afraid to be sexually responsible, which is the school's side of things — also an appropriate angle. It's a tough situation all the way around.