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12-Year-Old Girl Given Pill

Posted on: Saturday, 11 March 2006, 06:01 CST

By Guy Basnett

Hundreds of girls in the North-East ( some as young as 12 ( have been given the morning-after-pill at schools, a Journal investigation reveals.

Sexual health bosses admit parents may not know that 20 secondary schools in the region are now holding clinics offering the emergency contraception drug.

Anti-abortion campaigners questioned the effectiveness of the strategy at cutting teenage pregnancies and claimed there were health risks associated with it.

But sexual health workers say giving morning-after-pills to pupils is a key part of a drive to increase sex education and responsible sexual behaviour.

Gateshead Primary Care Trust head of sexual health services Sheron corr Robson said: "Emergency contraception will always be the last arm of the whole sexual health strategy.

"We would much rather see the situation prevented so that the young person is not exposed to risk."

Figures obtained by The Journal show 56 girls were given the pill at schools in Northumberland during the 2003/04 school year, while 116 were given out in the 2004/05 school year.

Between April 2004 and March 2005, there were 59 handed out in Newcastle schools.

And in a similar period around 20

morning-after-pills were given out in North Tyneside and Sunderland.

Three secondary schools in Gateshead give pupils access to emergency contraception either on school grounds or in a "linked" clinic, giving out 28 courses in the 2004/05 school year.

Mrs Robson said: "When a young person goes to see a trained health worker they are given education and advice about a full range of aspects from infections to contraception.

"They do work with the young people to teach delay, trying to delay early sex."

Mrs Robson also refuted any concerns that the availability of emergency contraception could lead to promiscuity and could hold dangers for young girls' developing bodies.

"What we know from other areas where this has been happening for longer is that there hasn't been a large group of people using it more often," she said. "We don't see multiple users.

"And there's no documented evidence of negative health outcomes to young people from the morning-after-pill, and in issuing it we would be following clinical guidelines."

She added that, while she understood parents could be concerned, they should be reassured.

"We are providing a full sexual service. We talk to youngsters about delaying sexual activity, and if need be using contraception and all aspects of sexual safety and advice.

"We would also encourage young people to talk to their parents or a trusted adult."

Jordan Broadbent, North-East Life UK spokesman for education, condemned the policy he described as a "quick-fix" and called for greater focus on education.

He said: "We see the morning-after-pill not as contraception but an abortive agent. It can be taken up to three days after fertilisation and is very powerful.

"We should be addressing why young people feel the need to be in sexual relationships."

In the past five years the Teenage Pregnancy Unit has made clinics available to at least 50,000 pupils across the UK, with at least one school in every LEA offering emergency contraception.

Under Government guidelines school governors are responsible for their school's sexual health policy, and while councils can advise, they have no influence over the decision.

Last night Gateshead Council teenage pregnancy coordinator Barbara Convery corr said conception rates in under-16s had fallen from 12.2 per thousand in 1998 to 9.3 per thousand in 2003.

All schools in Newcastle and Gateshead declined to comment on the figures. Headteachers of Northumberland schools either declined to comment or were unavailable. North Tyneside Council's Lynda Seery said in all schools these arrangements were undertaken following full consultation with parents, pupils, staff and governors.

Source: The Journal - Newcastle-upon-Tyne

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