Benefits of Condom Distribution in High schools
Benefits of Condom Distribution in Schools With an extremely high percentage of sexually active teens, the United States holds the title of the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and abortion among teens in North America and Europe. Concerned parents, educators, and healthcare workers cannot decide what to do about this alarming problem, caused by unprotected sexual intercourse. Condom distribution in high schools represents an effective way to protect sexually active teenagers from unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Availability of condoms in high schools does not increase rates of teenage sexual activity, but rather increases condom use among already sexually active teenagers. Among American teenagers, condom unavailability ranks as the number one obstacle for safe sex ("Briefing" 5). A survey conducted by the Center for Population Options Teen Council examined the accessibility of contraception in drugstores and convenience stores in Washington, D.C. and found that: "One-third of the stores kept condoms behind the counter, forcing teens to ask for them. Only thirteen percent of the stores had signs that clearly marked where contraceptives were shelved. Adolescent girls a
School-based condom availability is a low-cost, harmless addition to high school HIV/AIDS prevention and education that deserves policy consideration. From 1990 to 1992, the number of youth ages thirteen to twenty-four who were diagnosed with AIDS increased by an alarming seventy-seven percent (Dunn 1). Condom availability programs within schools eases access and communicates the important message that society prefers protection to disease, teenage pregnancy, and death ("Briefing" 5). Raab's article in Family Planning Perspectives argues that making condoms available in high schools does not increase teenage rates of sexual activity, but does result in higher rates of condom use among sexually active students. In fact, at some schools that distribute condoms, the average age of first intercourse was older than at schools without contraception availability (Francoeur 98-99). Raab said, "The fear that making condoms available to high school students appears to be unfounded. Condom availability, coupled with health, sex education, HIV/AIDS, and pregnancy education program can effectively thwart the effects of teenage sexual activity. Furthermore, adolescents have the same susceptibility to HIV as adults. Chicago was chosen because it has a large, unified urban school system similar to New York's: Its public school are ethnically diverse, have a high dropout rate and provide students with education about HIV and AIDS, but not condoms (Raab 48)Sexually active students in New York reported a significantly higher rate of condom use in their last sexual encounter than did their counterparts in Chicago. The American Medical Association estimates that one out of four teenagers will contract a sexually transmitted disease before high school graduation. Over three million sexually active teenagers are infected with a sexually transmitted disease each year, representing one-fifth of all sexually transmitted disease cases in the nation. Data were collected in 1994 from seven thousand students from twelve randomly selected New York City public high school and six thousand students from ten Chicago public high schools. Commenting on condom availability, M. School condom availability programs supported by comprehensive sex education help students gain the skill necessary for successful safe sex with the use of condoms.
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