Parents Speak Up

In a national spotlight, a Portland Maine school board voted 10-2 to approve birth control access in school-based health centers, without parental notice.

Surveys repeatedly show very strong public support for access to birth control and comprehensive sex ed. Nevertheless, in the last decade the number of public schools mandating real sex education has plummeted, and the assault on birth control has continued to escalate. The federal abstinence-only campaign has not only muzzled educators, it seems to have muzzled parents and the public who fear controversy and isolation if they speak up for adolescent sexual health.

That wasn’t the case in Portland, where health educators and parents of middle school students took the microphone and supported access to birth control for all adolescents. In a hostile national climate where President Bush continues to appoint activists who oppose birth control to head the nation’s family planning programs, and where parental notice laws continue to be pushed in embattled communities like Aurora Illinois, it was a breath of fresh air to see the Portland story take center stage.

From a public relations perspective, the voice of parents in this debate was critical. Far more important than health statistics are parents simply saying they want to make sure teens stay safe.