Teen Matters is located right across the street from CCHS in local Rock Springs housing development, a place that is seemingly highly accessible to students.
By BRITTNEY BUTLER – Print Managing Editor
Although students are encouraged to use the health resources provided for them at the public clinic Teen Matters, it is hard to do so because of the clinic’s non-flexible hours.
Teen Matters representatives can be found on a number of days set up at a table outside of the cafeteria or presenting to health classes on the importance of self health, but not many people are comfortable enough to go up and speak to the person working in fear of risking their reputation.
Questions go unasked and, therefore, unanswered because students do not make the time to ask the professionals that are here for them during the school day.
On top of that, students are also not likely to walk across the street to Clarke Central High School’s Teen Matters building, located on 168 S. Rocksprings Ct, even though it is within walking distance of the school.
For students from the ages of 11 to 19, Teen Matters workers offer completely confidential health services such as free birth control, relationship advice, pregnancy testing, treatment and testing for sexually transmitted infections, health education and immunizations.
The problem is that they are not reaching nearly enough students to make their workers time worth their effort.
There are two Teen Matters locations dedicated to educating teens in Athens-Clarke County, one by each of the county’s high schools, Clarke Central High School and Cedar Shoals High School.
Teen Matters’ proximity to each high school provides for an environment that is supposed to be easy and safe to access, but due to the hours that the clinics are open students are forced into skipping school to make it to the off-campus site.
Teen Matters Clarke Central hours include Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. — all times during school hours. The only day with after school hours is Tuesday: 8:00am-6:30pm.
Due to these hours, people who participate in after school activities are left with no choice but to skip class to go to Teen Matters.
In addition, very few students are able to make the time to visit the clinic within these hours. Students should not be made to choose between going to their classes or checking in on their health needs.
If there were an option for students to speak with their counselors to get a pass to walk across the street to Teen Matters, students would, in turn, not have to risk breaking curfew laws by skipping school to get the information they need to be healthy.
Health is not something that should be restricted to hours during the school day.
