MANY parents reading our story today will be horrified at the prospect of their teenage daughters taking the morning after pill.

The thought of teenagers becoming sexually active is a worry for most parents.

So the news that the county council, Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust — and six unnamed schools — are embarking on a project where teenage girls can text a school nurse to get the morning after pill will send shivers down their spines.

From July, at weekends and during the school holidays, teenagers will be able to send a text to a school nurse.

The thinking behind the scheme, which was set up after Oxford and Banbury were named teenage pregnancy “hotspots”, is to provide a service for kids too scared to visit a GP, pharmacist — or tell their parents.

The county council and PCT are treading a very thin line.

Of course, we all have a responsibility to prevent teenage pregnancies, but this could be seen as an erosion of parental responsibilities.

Kids learn a lot about life in the school playground and the majority of teenagers are uncomfortable discussing anything with their parents, let alone the subject of sex.

While this idea has been welcomed by some, we feel the fact it effectively bypasses parents will upset many who have teenage daughters.

On the other hand, most parents do not realise if their child is sexually active, so perhaps ignorance is bliss.

Surely it is better for a teenager to seek help and advice where it is being provided?

The UK has a poor record when it comes to teenage pregnancies. Our aim must be to reverse that trend.

Examining different ways to do that can be no bad thing.