Health Clinics in Schools

As a former high school teacher, I applaud Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and all the educators at San Fernando High School for their efforts to establish an on-campus medical clinic.

Why must parents continue to look at only the birth control angle of the story? Don’t they realize that many of their daughters and sons encounter other medical problems that require attention?

Many times, in only three years of teaching, girls came to me wondering about pains, frequent headaches, odd patches on their skin and the like and I was not capable of telling them anything other than to tell their parents. To which they replied that it probably wasn’t serious enough to bother their parents.

A friend of mine who is an assistant principal once had the “opportunity” of helping a girl as she went through a miscarriage. There was no on-campus medical center and the school nurse only came on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The miscarriage occurred on a Wednesday. No one knew that the child of 15 was pregnant and she wouldn’t explain even during the pain. Only after the bloody ordeal was over was the situation recognized. No one could blame my friend for she is not a registered nurse.

Tell those parents that the teachers are not out to hurt their children or to force them to go against their religious upbringing. We are here to help. Why else do we do so much for so little pay for so many years of our lives?

Remember, I’m speaking as a former teacher who just couldn’t take it anymore. I’m proud of those that can and wish to support those that have taken up the cross to continue the fight.

ROSEANNE WELCH

Van Nuys