Editor:
After reading this article regarding the possible health clinic at Sweet Home High School, I could barely contain myself long enough to sit down at the computer and write this letter.
I graduated from SHHS in 1993 and am currently working as a physician’s assistant in a women’s health clinic in Washington. I spend my days doing annual exams/pap smears, prescribing medicine, including birth control, and a large part of my day is educating patients on healthcare issues including sexual health and protecting themselves.
I wanted to share my perspective on the issues mentioned, for what it’s worth.
I am saddened by the response to this proposal for many reasons. If I understand correctly, this was to be a health clinic for uninsured young adults. The whole article was based on the fear of abortion services.
I find it insane that abortion was the bulk of the article. I feel I need to respond to this topic. Although abortion is not supported by many community members, the laws pertaining to age have been in effect long before this health clinic was brought up. As a previous student, information on abortion services were readily available, as well as birth control. This is nothing new. I feel like these young adults are not given enough credit for actually knowing where to get this information.
Sadly, if we spent more time educating our children instead sheltering them from life, our children might not be getting pregnant or STD’s as much.
I see young adults every day and it still amazes me – the lack of knowledge about sexuality, STD’s and pregnancy. Unfortunately, friends and parents who also lack the knowledge are the ones educating them.
God forbid we empower our teens with birth control and knowledge on how to protect themselves from STD’s, pregnancies and other situations we all know they get themselves into. Knowledge is power and ignorance can be bliss but more dangerous than you might think.
I can’t imagine community members actually thinking that there would an abortion service at the high school. Also, what is an abortion chamber? Sounds scary, but in reality those procedures are done in actual patient rooms, above ground with skilled providers and no restraints on the patient. If abortion information is the big concern, why wouldn’t we want to include education on reproductive health and birth control to avoid abortions?
Back to the main issue: Why would a community want to take away possible medical services to teens without insurance? I think it would have been great to have that option while I attended SHHS.
Many people suffer because they cannot afford healthcare and I think turning this into a pro-life topic is pure ignorance.
I understand that parents don’t want to lose control over raising their children, I completely respect that. But if parents aren’t willing to education their children on important issues they deal with on a daily basis why should they be denied healthcare access?
If we don’t take action to educate our youth, they are out there making decisions without knowledge. I remember being a teen and not knowing anything but thinking I knew everything. We can’t keep our heads in the sand forever over sexuality. Sex is how we all got here isn’t it?
Angie Bean (previously Burnett)
Vancouver, Wash.