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Priest's anger at underage condom plan



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A CATHOLIC priest has condemned condoms being made available to pupils as young as 13 at North Berwick High School.
Father Stephen Robson, of North Berwick's Our Lady Star of the Sea RC Church, said he was "shocked and dismayed" at the practice at the Healthy Respect drop-in clinic.

The clinic was set up last year by East Lothian Council in partnership with NHS Lothian and the Scottish Government.

Under the scheme, secondary schools can apply for family planning aids to be made available on request to pupils deemed to be at risk of pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.

Fr Robson said: "I am shocked and dismayed. It's another blow for traditional family values.

"Giving youngsters condoms will only encourage underage sex and I doubt it will have any real impact on the number of teenage pregnancies and abortions in Scotland."

A council statement said: "A letter was sent to all parents at the school, no objections were made and several notes in support of the service were received."





The full article contains 176 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 25 July 2008 11:20 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Douglas,

Bathgate 25/07/2008 11:30:28
Perhaps the good father would prefer a scheme where bus fare to "auntie's" is provided for the fallen. He may even prefer the beetroot and garlic solution for the cure of all ills.
Traditional family values are alive and well in Scotland. They're just more widely known about and discussed these days.
Churchmen seem to have a need to hide everything away and deny until presented with the physical evidence. Strange really, given the line of work they're in.
2

Mop,

*********** 25/07/2008 11:59:25
Im sorry I agree with Fr Robson,I thought the legal age for sex in this country was 16,so why are we encouraging these young people to break the law.Its absolutely ridiculous kids this age being provided with condoms,you watch the rates of STDs will shoot through the roof because I dont think the young folk have the maturity or wherewithall to deal with sex at such a young age.
Never mind the physical what about the mental health of these young people are they even ready for a sexual relationship and all the responsibility it brings?
We will have yet more young mums and kids having kids.Also I just cannot understand how this can be legal.We better watch or we will be going down the road like the Netherlands where the age of consent is 10 or 12 years old.Where is childhood now?
3

The Genuine Mario Antoinette,

25/07/2008 12:15:15
As usual only half truths in tabloid stylee. Then you get muppets like number 2 taking it as gospel. Then the fun starts and people start voting for Lenny Henry.
4

john3,

25/07/2008 12:31:17
Chances are they will be used as water bombs by the kids.
5

Dunaskin,

Edinburgh 25/07/2008 12:42:55
Errr... Underage kids having fun without condoms = STDs and pregnancies and maybe abortions.

Or - underage kids getting some sensible and neutral advice, and condoms if they want = safe sex, no pregnancies/abortions.

Bit of a no-brainer, you would think.
6

I love to eat Sellotape,

25/07/2008 12:55:08
The headline actually refers to underage condoms.
7

whoreally cares,

25/07/2008 13:54:07
wot age does a condom have to be to have sex?
8

Urban Guerrilla,

Edinburgh 25/07/2008 14:25:20
Stupid man. Ignore him. Under-age sex using condoms isn't ideal, but it's much less bad than under-age pregnancies.
9

Mop,

*********** 25/07/2008 16:08:51
Excuse me I am not a muppet,and Mario since you are so well informed perhaps then you can provide us with the facts of the story.

People not taking things seriously is why this country is going to the dogs.I take it you are happy with 13 year olds being doled out condoms then?
10

The Genuine Mario Antoinette,

25/07/2008 18:39:37
They arent doling them out muppet. Read the story , research the facts.
11

Alba Abú,

Edinburgh 25/07/2008 18:43:25
#3 You appear to be the only muppet on this thread!I presume that you as a muppet would have no objections to your thirteen year old child using a condom, Idiot!
12

Master Po,

25/07/2008 23:14:39
#11 If my thirteen year old child was having sexual relations I would much rather they used protection. I'm guessing that you never had any sexual urges until you reached the age of consent, unlike the many teenagers nowadays who spend most of their spare time bashing the bishop and/or flicking the bean.
13

The Genuine Mario Antoinette,

25/07/2008 23:19:59
11

"A letter was sent to all parents at the school, no objections were made and several notes in support of the service were received."

Chances are you will find that the parents would be notified before any such actino was taken.

what do you reckon. Do you feel a bit silly ?
14

celtic4,

USA 25/07/2008 23:47:05
If kids want to "play Dr." Father Robson, I assume you'd rather see them use a condom than to have oodles of unwanted underage pregnancies? Because if they want to fool around they will, with or without a condom.
15

CoMSR,

Borders 27/07/2008 18:49:39
A council statement said: "A letter was sent to all parents at the school, no objections were made and several notes in support of the service were received."

I am not a parent of a child of 13 years of age (yes 13 is still a child) who attends North Berwick High so I have not had the benefit of seeing the letter sent out to ALL parents at the school.
So I am wondering how the letter explained a couple of things:
1) that the school would be distributing to 13 year old pupils free condoms, and allowing them to sign up to a scheme which will allow them to get free condoms when ever they feel like it. All without their parents having to know;
2) how the provision of free condoms is not an encouragement for children to experiment (biology homework anyone);
3) the reasoning behind the effectiove removal, or reduction of, the age of consent (which I still believe is 16). After all if sex under the age of consent is accepted and condoned (I will not say encouraged) by a school, then pupils will take it 'as read' that they can have sex when ever and with whom ever they so choose;
4) young girls are sometime put under pressure by peers and 'boyfriends' to have sex at a young age. One reason a girl could call on, in such a situation, to say no was the lack of protection. Now the young man would just have to reach into his pencil case (excuse the pun) and that excuse is no longer available. The girl is now under greater pressure to do something she does not want to do.

As I said it would be interesting to find out how the letter to all the parents explained these points



16

tell the truth now...,

28/07/2008 11:06:46
There would be no need to say to parents that their child could access condoms without their consent. There is no legal age restriction on anyone buying condoms, a 5 year old can get them if they so choose. Young people under 16 years of age are full persons in the law and entitled to the exact same rights as adults. This would include affording them a private life, private even from their parents. They can access ANY medical treatment if they are deemed capable of consenting to medical treatment. However condoms are NOT a medical treatment and hence they can be bought from any vendor or supplied from any service, and this would include schools.

 

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