Chief Sealth International, a Seattle, Washington public school, is implanting IUDs in children as young as in the 6th grade, according to this report in LifeNews.com.  The program is funded by Medicare through a program called Take Charge, and is advocated by Planned Parenthood.  Cnsnews reports that at least 13 Seattle-area public schools are also participating.  Cnsnews quotes a Take Charge spokesman as saying ““We encourage all Take Charge providers to offer long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) in their clinics. A young person does not need parental consent to obtain a LARC or any other contraceptive method…If the young person is not choosing abstinence, she would be able to select a LARC and have it inserted without parental consent.”

Ironically, Seattle school age children are banned from getting soda and junk food due to a 2004 law, but are now encouraged by state and federal officials to get a “full array of covered family planning services” a clinics in schools, if either their parents can demonstrate they meet the income standards.  But children can also shield their parents knowledge by applying using their own income.

The program is also supported by the non-profit Neighborcare Health, which runs 12 area school-based health centers, as well as other health services for  low-income and the uninsured. Katie Acker, health educator at two of those clinics, is quoted by The Grist: “The birth control culture, for lack of a better term, and the conversations have just changed so much. Even for me, starting in September of 2013 to now, seeing the change — conversations are just happening so openly and so excitedly. There’s so much pride around, ‘I’ve got this method, I’ve got this method.’ It’s not a hush-hush thing anymore … So many students will come in and say, ‘Oh, my friend got the IUD, can I make an appointment?’”