Gloucester considers giving high schoolers contraceptives

By Globe Staff

The School Committee in Gloucester, where a report of a high school pregnancy pact made headlines worldwide earlier this year, is planning to vote tonight on whether to allow contraceptives to be distributed at the high school.

The three proposals expected to be discussed when the board meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall include providing contraceptives to students, providing contraceptives to students only with parental consent, or continuing the current policy under which no contraceptives are provided.

Gloucester was thrust into the spotlight in June after Time magazine reported that several teenage girls had entered into a pact to have babies and raise them together.

While the city’s mayor denied the existence of a pact later that month, the School Committee has since debated the merits of offering contraceptives at the school's health clinic, which is run by Northeast Health System.

Three members of the board, including Mayor Carolyn Kirk and the chairman, Greg Verga, have expressed support for providing contraceptives with parental consent, Globe North reported Sunday.

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