Updated: Monday, 24 Sep 2012, 7:06 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 24 Sep 2012, 7:06 PM EDT
Since January 2011, more than 1,100 New York City students from 14 schools have gotten "morning after" and other birth control pills - from school.
The pilot program, called Connecting Adolescents to Comprehensive Health, provides the birth control measures at schools where students are known to have a higher rate of pregnancy and less access to healthcare. In New York City, nearly half of teens have had sexual intercourse, CNN's Alina Cho reports, and seven out of 10 pregnant girls drop out.
The program, which now operates in 13 schools, is facing some criticism .
Students don't need permission from parents to get the pills, unless parents opt-out of the program through letters mailed and sent home with students. Some question whether parents have seen the letters and are aware of the program. All New York City schools already distribute free condoms .
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