PhaedraMcSpiffy
Beautifully said, Oni.
Thank you! smile
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Honestly though, about the birth control for 8-year-olds thing... I really don't agree and I still don't see much of a justification. When I was 8 I wasn't menstruating yet (it was 11 for me) and I sure as hell knew I didn't want to have sex. I don't think that someone should be forced or pressured to take medication that they don't want or need.
That segment comes across as kind of tacky and insulting.
That segment comes across as kind of tacky and insulting.
Personally, I think it's still a choice to be made by the doctor and the people involved. Some girls go through precocious puberty. Many of these girls are girls with PCOS (like me!) and develop boobies and periods in the 5th grade. However, hormonal birth control isn't good for everyone, and it is irresponsible to put everyone on it, especially since BC can lead to all sorts of problems, the most common being massive amounts of weight gain.
I think that the most important thing is to empower young girls and boys to understand about sex and how to protect themselves against unwanted advances. Just putting your kid on birth control pills makes them just as powerless and not in control of their bodies as forcing them to carry a pregnancy to term. In order for people to respect their bodies, they must OWN and NURTURE and MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS about them.
There is a program I really like called Kidpower. It is really great because it teaches people positive behaviors about how to diffuse potentially threatening situations without succumbing to the fear of "stranger danger". The truth is that the world is a dangerous and scary place. I would much rather give my daughter or son the toolbox of abilities to notice and protect themselves from danger than to handcuff myself to them and slay their dragons for them.
The world is not made of Nerf. People will have bad things happen to them; you can't prevent it all! But you CAN teach them ways to minimize the damage, endure hardship, and come out of it stronger than before.
