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The availability of the morning-after pill in schools to under-age girls

1. Christians want to communicate effectively a vision in whichsexual intercourse is linked exclusively to mature, committed,lifelong relationships that are expressive of love, trust andshared responsibilities.

 

2. We want everyone, including young people, to takeresponsibility for their own choices about sexual practice, basedon wisdom and accurate information.

 

3. We want to encourage young people to continue exploring ourvision for human relationships even if they choose to behave inways which contradict it: we will not exclude them from the ongoingtask, or penalise them, but rather extend to them as to everyonerespect, care and protection.

4. Therefore the best interests of young people who practicesexual intercourse below the age of consent must be advocated. Inrespect of the proposal to make available the morning-after pill onschool premises, this will involve:

Co-ordinated health care, with the GP always kept fully informedand required to monitor the situation;

Rounded contraceptive and personal advice given to each youngperson by trained nursing staff;

Encouragement always given to under-16s to talk to theirparents;

Consistency between what is said by nursing staff on schoolpremises and what is communicated to boys and girls through thevalues and ideals of the school, in particular through the school¹sSex and Relationship Policy.

5. Granted, from a Christian point of view, that the readyavailability of the morning-after pill is a less than idealpractice, we judge that the approach sketched above is potentiallyless damaging for young people than easy access to themorning-after pill over the chemist's counter.

Rev David Deeks, Co-ordinating Secretary for Church &Society


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