The politics of youth, sex, and health care in American schools

Button and Rienzo (political science and health science education, respectively; both, U. of Florida) examine the history and political dynamics of school-based health clinics, analyze the nature and extent of political barriers facing them, and describe strategies for overcoming these barriers. The results of a nationwide survey of clinic administrators and case studies of five representative locales are presented, highlighting day-to-day issues such as inadequate funding, lack of parental involvement, and opposition to birth control information and services from conservative groups. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).