Should schools be required to hand out condoms to those who ask for them?
Submitted by mjones on Fri, 08/01/2008 - 08:40
More and more high schools are pledging to hand out condoms to those students who ask for them. At the same time, even more students and parents are requesting that high schools should in fact give free condoms to students who wish to procure one. How do you feel about this? You can read about a school that recently did this here.
i think that this is a very important thing for schools to do. when it comes down to it, teenagers are going to have sex, and giving out condoms does not encourage sex, but encourages safe sex
~I disagree. Yeah, teenagers are going to have sex, but the school doesn't have the right to get involved. The place of the school system is to educate kids about safe sex, not necesarily give them the tools to implement it. I, personally, don't know of a student who would go to school administration for a condom. It just doesn't make much sense to me.~
***Sam*** :] <3
Although i think teenagers should wait, i think this is a good idea. It's their choice to have sex. The school cant stop them so they should atleast make sure that theyre protected, and doing it safely. It's better than risking getting pregnant at a young age or getting a disease like hiv or something
I don't like the idea of schools handing out condoms to students because first of all they should wait until they are married and even if they do get them it doesn't always protect them. Something can go wrong and they can end up getting pregnant or even still having AIDs or HIVs. So when the school gives those to students it's just encouraging them to have sex and i dont like that and people SHOULD WAIT UNTIL THEIR MARRIED. See, that's the problem nowadays people don't wait so many kids our age or even as young as 13 have kids or even an abortion which is horrible. So schools shouldn't even give condoms in the first place they should teach kids to wait until their married because we all should.
I think that its a good idea. I think that we should wait, but most teenagers don't, which is why the teen pregnancy rate has sky rocketed. At least giving out condoms is a way to promote safety, possibly saving another unborn child from murder[abortion].
I think it's important for schools to accept the fact that teenagers are having sex. They should do whatever they can to make sure that it's safe.
I totally agree. I graduated from high school this june and im glad that my school did offer condoms when the students needed them, i used to do service for my u.s history teacher and she was also a dean in the school so she use to have this little box full of condoms in her office and students use to go to her office and get the condoms for free.
So i think more schools should do this beacuse its true more teenagers are having sex and theres nothing we can do to stop it but what we can do its to make sure they having safe sex.
Okay, the more they give out condoms for free the more they are promoting sex and telling kids that it is okay to have sex. This world is corrupt that teenagers has sex at young ages. Even with a condom it can still get someone pregnant and yeah it would be less people, but they shouldn't even be doing it in the first place. Gosh, i just wish that people would figure out that sex before marriage is not good. The point for sex is between a man and a women when they are married, not before and its suppose to be a special thing, but when you ruin it before marriage then its not as special anymore. Giving condoms is just telling kids that yeah go out and have sex and it's okay, but it's NOT.
I agree, I think that schools should hand out condoms. If teachers do hand out condoms then the students should know to have safe sex. It lets them know that the teachers care about them. Even if the students are thinking that the teacher handing out condoms means that they can have sex, they will still be secured. And it's not like the teacher should hand out condoms without giving them a speech, they should first go through the most two weeks of learning about STD and safe sex. They should probably give them a test and see if they get it.
ok so i respect everyones views and opinions but sex is not only for marriage so many americans think sex is such a taboo when it is really something that natural that people share whether it be husband and wife or someone that you like intimatley. i also believe that there is no such thing as being too young, i think if your educated aware of the dangers and you are therefore practicing safe sex more power to you! my school hands out condoms and you dont have to ask a teacher you can privatley obtain them from various bins throughout the school and it helps a lot of peopel condoms DO NOT,i repeat DO NOT encourage students to have sex it in encourages them to have safe sex would you rather kids being safe, or contracting STD's and getting pregnant as a teen because regardless of what you think or believe kids are going to have sex and a lot of times it happens in places where sex before marriage is preached educate them.give them the reosurces. then let them decides thats what i day!
JUST AN F.Y.I. IN CASE U DONT KNOW...CONDOMS ARE NOT 100% SAFE AND YOU CAN STILL GET PREGNANT OR HAVE STDs OF HIVs. YES, IT REDUCES THE RISK OF IT, BUT WHAT IF YOU ARE THE LUCKY ONE WHO ENDS UP GETTING PREGNANT OR HAVING STDs EVEN WITH THE CONDOM...SO THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS SAFE...THNK ABOUT THAT.........
better safe than sorry
well u would be sorry if you got an std but that doesnt mean never have sex or wait til marriage thats why theres lovely birth control and tests to make sure that you and your partner are safe
You are extremely adamant about young teens having the freedom to be sexually active. I tutored a 5th grade girl while I was in high school. After the school semester and tutoring sessions were over I learned from the director that she was pregnant and you say there should not be an age limit on sex. She was only 11 years old.
I don't believe you have considered all that goes in to having sex, especially among teens. There are so many emotions, and questions that go through those kids' minds that are rarely dealt with or answered. I believe the solution or prevention of teens having sex is more sex education in schools. People can not run away from the problem, but we can help in lessening the negative consequences or amount of sexually active teens by teaching the teens about sex (positive and negative aspects). In all, teens will know all about sex (ie. diseases, pregnancy, birth control, peer pressure from sexual partners, media, relationships etc.)
I believe that teens should wait to have sex, but the reality is, most of them don’t. For that reason, I believe that it's a good idea to give students condoms if they ask for them (it would not hurt if they had parental consent, making parents involved in the situation), but I don't believe that schools have to be REQUIRED to distribute them. This is my stance, sex is not a negative thing, but more and more students are having sex without knowing or considering the consequences. So, giving the condoms to those who ask for them is just another way of letting students know that using condoms may lessen the risk of experiencing some negative consequences that come with having sex. It is not promoting sex.
School is about educating students to make the best decisions for themselves. There needs to be more sex education in our schools (middle, high school, and elementary if there are statistics about high rates of teen pregnancy, etc.) because if kids don't hear about it at home, schools, or family members they'll seek information else where such as their friends, and "good ole" media. Getting information about sex from friends and the media is where kids learn about the misconceptions about sex. People, we should not want that for kids in today's society. There is no need for adults (parents, guardians, etc.) to be afraid of discussing sex with their kids. We have to be open and talk about these issues. Communication is key.
Welll....hmmm. A tough one.
I do not think so. School should not encourage any form of sex. Providing them will in a way, encourage it.
No, I don't think a school should be required to do so. A school is an educational institution, not a free clinic. However, I think that schools who do decide to do this are justified. What I would hope is that no particular teacher or faculty member would be forced to hand them out if they were not comfortable with that. Ie, if the school decided it should be the nurse's job to hand out condoms, and she was morally opposed to that, then an alternative person should volunteer to do so in her place.
I think people should wait tell their married!!!
Schools aren'tabout sex and shouldn't encourage it!!
School is a place to learn!!
I think it's a bad idea to hand out condoms at school!
The more free condoms being handed out the more teens are going to think it's ok! And i think it's not!
I think if some people want to wait until marrigae that's fine;I do, too. But there will always be some people who won't wait, regardless if we want them to or not. And it isn't as though teenagers don't know about sex, they do. And they have heard there parents and other adults tell them countless times not to do it, But in the end, it's up to them. giving out condomns to teens that ASK will help prevent the spread of STDs and prevent teen pregnancy.
Like another person said, it's better safe than sorry. Either way, teens are going to have sex if they want, so if condoms were available in a safe environment instead of the embarrassment of buying them at a public store, perhaps more teens would actually use them. It's a fantastic idea.
You are extremely adamant about young teens having the freedom to be sexually active. I tutored a 5th grade girl while I was in high school. After the school semester and tutoring sessions were over I learned from the director that she was pregnant and you say there should not be an age limit on sex. She was only 11 years old.........
i clearly previously stated
also believe that there is no such thing as being too young, i think if your educated aware of the dangers and you are therefore practicing safe sex more power to you!......do you think this 11 year old was educated or used safe sex, or plan B i doubt it because she probably wasnt educated and i understand where your coming from education is neeeded but who are you or anyone for that matter to dictate anyone elses life, i know im not. who am i to say one can have sex at this age, or under this relationship status no one is and you are welcome to live your life the way you please but dont try and control others and with that being said i believe condoms in school (if the can obtain them w/o people knowing )are the mediator in the situation they allow someone to not have the information put out there and they are safe,maybe not a 1,000 % but they are safe
You are extremely adamant about young teens having the freedom to be sexually active. I tutored a 5th grade girl while I was in high school. After the school semester and tutoring sessions were over I learned from the director that she was pregnant and you say there should not be an age limit on sex. She was only 11 years old.........
i clearly previously stated
also believe that there is no such thing as being too young, i think if your educated aware of the dangers and you are therefore practicing safe sex more power to you!......do you think this 11 year old was educated or used safe sex, or plan B i doubt it because she probably wasnt educated and i understand where your coming from education is neeeded but who are you or anyone for that matter to dictate anyone elses life, i know im not. who am i to say one can have sex at this age, or under this relationship status no one is and you are welcome to live your life the way you please but dont try and control others and with that being said i believe condoms in school (if the can obtain them w/o people knowing )are the mediator in the situation they allow someone to not have the information put out there and they are safe,maybe not a 1,000 % but they are safe
Condoms should be provided, period. This doesn't encourage sex. The statistics show that kids are having sex anyway so why not give them the options and education they need to ensure safety?
Idkk why everyone thinks that just handing out condoms is promoting sex. It is basically telling us if we want to have sex than the condoms are there for protection. Cuz face it, hardly any of us will go to our parents and ask about 'sex'. Just hearing the word "SEX" come out of our mouth flips them out. And we are sure in hell scared to go to a drug store or any store to get condoms, cuz of what people mite think: "ohh he/she is too young to be having sex." It is better to be safe than sorry. Someone said that there is also a chance at getting pregnant, but a condom works 90% of the time, now don't you think it is better to have a 10% chance at getting pregnant than having a whole 100%?
But lets all face it, there are a massive load of teenagers having sex. Some are having babies, abortions, they even have STDs/AIDs. Sure your thinking, "well than don't do it, wait for marriage, then you can do that." But you also have to think that not all think like you. We all have different minds and are curious. So i think distributing condoms in school is a good idea. Statistics shown that it makes teenagers comfortable that they have a source to turn to then going out and have un-safe sex. Other schools should think about this and parents should consider it. Cuz if they like it or not, their teenage-kid is having sex or is curious about it.
okay, wait till their married?? uhh come on, not all teens think that. &if school is about learning, then we should learn about 'sex' & 'safe sex'. There are so many teenagers getting pregnant & STDs/HIVs. Sure you may say, well if that is problem, then wait till marriage, so it won't be a problem. But you have to also think about how teenagers get curious &wonder. There are so many ideas that pop into a teenagers head when it comes to sex. The schools are just trying to protect you from haveing unsafe sex &having a chance of getting pregnant or getting someone pregnant. They care for you future too. Don't just think cuz the schools are handing out 'free' condoms that they are promoting: "it is okay to have sex". Bcuz that is not the solution, they are truly telling you that they care for your 'health, education and future'. They cant control or stop us teens to not have sex, so they turn to a solution--condoms. Before you disagree i think it's best to research on the issue. Bcuz it is true teens are having un-safe sex cuz they are ashamed of going to the store.
-don't judge a book by it's cover, open it up & look deeper.
I tottaly disgree with the education system giving out condoms schools is sopposed too be an educated envoirment .I honelstly think health class is a waste of time it should only be classes that get you ready for your carrerr . and if you want to learn about reporduction or your body you can go too science for that. its not the schools place to talk about sex and give out condoms . thats why we have parents . If teens don't want to get pregnet DON'T HAVE SEX . If the parents want to give there teens condoms thats fine as long as they know. the schools are basically going behind the parents back if they give out condoms . I'm 14 years old and tottlay disagree with the education system giving out condoms
Hmm.. I say yes&no
Yes;
Teens are bound to have sex.
Not all, but some.
&I think it would be smart to atleast make sure it's safe.
No;[ to that subject^ ]
Who says they're all going to go to them? Some teens think that nothing will happen to them, pregnancy won't happen to them, AIDs won't happen to them.
Why should the school waste their money on something the teens probably won't even use?
No; [ on a different subject ]
Giving out condoms would probably influence more teens to have sex.
More than likely, kids would be going around saying stuff like:
"I can't believe you're still a virgin! Go to the office, pick up a condom, IT'S SAFE"
To me, it's not worth the risk.
I don't know. I guess this is a really opinionated subject, such as many others.
Depends on your beliefs, I guess
a friend of mine is 17 years old and on her third pregnancy; she had a miscarrage when she was 15 and had her son when she was 16. she is now living with her boyfriend and they are having a very hard time. she was on the pill all three times but still got pregnant. i know that condoms dont always work but they lower the risk. if condoms are more available to the students it wont promote sex it will just show them that safe sex is smart and easier than getting pregnant at a young age. maybe the youth wont use them but it is better than doing nothing.
your heart is in a good place tweety bu thte reality is, not many people think that way and what would be easier? changing everyone's mind to thinking that sex before marriage is wrong, or hand out the tools to people who are than likely already sexually active,and help keep them safe?
why are we afraid of giving out information? teens should know about safe sex. it sounds like some of the anti-condom arguements here are actually arguments about not talking about sex at all. that is just ridiculous--sort of like if you just pretend it doesnt exist then maybe it will go away? umm, no.
Well, I know that i can not change people's mind, but at least one person or so might realize that if they just wait to have sex then it will save them from a lot of problems. I don't know why kids abuse sex...it was created for a man and a women (who are married) to give life to a new creation, but so many people have sex before marriage and if they have a kid then they get an abortion. This world is corrupt and i know i can't change it, but it does start with one person. Because one person can make a difference. Giving out condoms at school is in my opionin not right, but i can't change that and i know that. Most of time when kids have the condoms (Because the school gives it to them) they might be tempted to use it and then that will lead to sex and we shouldn't be having sex at young ages. I've heard of a girl that was pregnant at 13, so young, and already she has to deal with a child. If we all just learn that we should wait then this world might be improving especially for the Teens. But as i said before i am NOT trying to change anyone and make them not have sex. Go and have sex, if you want, but you WILL suffer the consequences even if you are protected with condoms and if you're not.
Just remember that what you do now WILL for sure affect your future......
I am very in between on this! On one side, I believe that if schools are handing out condoms, then, it encourages these teenagers, even at age 14, to have sex, in which they shouldn't. But, on the other hand, schools should so they don't have pregnant teenage girls walking around their schools and always leaving on a maternity leave. So, it could really go both ways.
I think that schools should hand out condoms if a student asks for it, because if they don't girls will be getting pregant all the time. I think that while the teacher/principal/nurse they should tell the student the risks and make sure that they are sure about there decision. If schools don't then kids will be having no protection and it will be a much more serious case.
No because school is a place for leaning not for passing out condoms, I mean come on if they ask for a condom obviously they know they need one and probably wont do anything until they can get off school campus to get one.
Teenagers are going to have sex, whether their parents allow it or not.Sure parents can tell their tenns to maintain sexual abstinence, but teens will still have SEX! Schools are only trying to promote SAFE SEX if students choose to be sexually active.
I think the schools reaching out to their students and supporting safe sex is a fantastic idea. I think its a way of showing that they actually care for the student and teaching them good and or better values. At my school, pregnancy is like something thats in the water, and I go to a regular high school, basically all of the female students and faculty are pregnant. And I believe for the kids atleast its that they dont have good enough values, their parents are never home or don't care and they have no one but their friends to talk to and who's really going to bring up a conversation with their friends or parents about actually having sex? Since for most it's an uncomfortable and touchy subject. It's just not probable. Like I remember when I went to my mom about the sex talk and the only advice she had for me was Just don't do it. You dont have permission to.. and its like how can you give some one permission to have sex? Are you going to be there when its happening, I dont think so. But any ways I think its a good idea and should happen.
Cheyenne Audrie
at my school last year they took a survey to see how many students think we should give out condoms and or birth control and of course in the end they didnt but a lot of the teachers were sayin they shouldnt be having sex anyways...thats probably the dumbest thing to say because they are still going to have sex and they always complain how teens are getting pregnant...well if you want to make a difference then tell them to be safe and try to make a difference by giving them out because complaining about it is not going to make a difference...help change things and help keep a student from being another statistic
i thinks it is a very good idea.
giving the condoms or not doesnt affect if them have the sex or not
more then 75% or the students at mee high school are having sex and they dont give us free condoms.
and about 20% of that 75%... are pregnant girls.
AND I HAVE OVER 1700 STUDENTS IN MY SCHOOL
thats about 1275 sexually active students and about 255 pregnant girls.
if the school give out the condoms, it will promote safe sex and let us know that even though they dont want us having sex, that they want us to be safe if we do have sex.
but if the schools dont, itll show that they really dont care that we have pregnant teenagers in the hallways.
on my opinio, and im a soon to be sophmore, if the schools dont pass out the free condoms, then they shouldnt kick the pregnant students out of the school, and should have some form of daycare for the girls that are having and keeping the babies
i thank this is a really good idea! being originally frum tha south i have seen many young women pregnant at an early age. i think that it will be a lot less stress for students!
It's not the best idea for teenagers to be having sex, but it happens. I think it's the school's responsibility to teach kids about it, instead of just preaching the whole no sex thing. If the kids want condoms, they're at least trying to be safe, so why deny that?
I think that if a school decides to hand out free condoms they should educate their students on them and that fact that they aren't 100% Effective like so many of you have said. I think schools should give them out, Its not promoting sex, when a teenager decides to have sex most will do it with or without a condom. At my school there are quite a few girls that are pregnant, maybe if our school handed out condoms or had speakers about safe sex it wouldn't have happened, we even had a pregnant cheerleader. To everyone who advocates to wait for sex till marriage, i tend to agree. But just because a school promotes safe sex by giving out condoms doesn't mean people are just going to have sex because of it. Teenagers go to school to be educated, well when you enter high school sex becomes a part of life, whether your having it or someone you know is having it, and you deserve to be taught on the subject and given the tools to protect yourself. Honestly they should give out birth control too, I have many friends who wish they could get the pills but couldn't because of there parents. I cannot stress enough how promoting SAFE sex isn't making kids have sex! People who think that are just ignorant.
Just say no programs don't work. Couples will promise not to have sex then they will anyways, but they won't use protection, because they were just planning on saying no. I agree with kodabug about all of that.
I think that schools should definately hand out condoms because if they don't, kids are still going to have sex and its going to be unprotected. So...it would be better to make it protected to help prevent diseases and pregnancy.
I learned about sex at a pretty young age. and have had condoms since i turned 12. *dont ask long story. haha* but i'm a virgin.
the mere object used in sex isn't promoting sex. it's the peer pressure. and drugs which fold over decision making skills that promote sex.
the condom just gives a little bit of cushion.
so that if said people do have sex. then they at least have a chance of being protected.
cause let's face it.
people are a little stupid sometimes.
and mistakes happen.
so i'm totally on board with giving condoms to people. it's good.
I respect the situation either way really. As much as people believe teens should wait till they're married? They're not. Simple as that. And unfortunately Not all teens are smart about sex as far as how important a condom can be and yet how you're still putting yourself at risk. Whether you have sex or not, I think everyone should have condoms. End of story. You can get a huge box of condoms at any local free clinic, you can get a small box at a local convenient store, or even bigger boxes at a publix, walmart, or pretty much anystore with a pharmacy. So whether schools give them out or not, there's still other ways of getting them. I think it's very irresponsible to have sex without a condom unless you physically can't have a baby, you're trying to have a baby with the person you love, you know you aren't going to get any disease, and you are 100% sure its what you want with that person. I believe having condoms available for teens is a very important thing because sex is the one thing that no one can take from you. If you choose not to have sex thats a great thing, but if you decide to have sex, don't be stupid wear a condom, and if you don't have one, don't do it unless you know what risks you're putting yourself in. DONT BE A FOOL, WRAP YOUR TOOL!!!!
Okay here's the thing, you can hate me or deny it or whatever else. As a teenager, I know and you probably know, like it or not teenagers are going to have sex. There's nothing you can do about it, it is a personal choice that no one but you and the person you're with can change or stop. Giving condoms out for free in schools is a good idea because although encouraging sex, it encourages SAFE sex. They should probably also hand out cards to the local womens clinic or where ever Birth control can be purchased without an adults consent. Teens are going to have sex, like it or not so you may as well promote SAFE sex in schools, it will help to make teens aware, because honestly, sexual education classes are lacking in content, teens do not know enough after just that class. THEREFORE the promotion of safe sex is a good thing because if we're just going to go for it anyways, may as well promote us to do it safely so we don't end up with someone like an STI or the thought of murdering and innocent unborn child with abortion.
Know the facts, know the risks, talk about sex with your partner, be safe about it and know that you're ready. Don't doubt yourself, if you are, don't have sex yet.
Most of all, if you're going to have sex, have SAFE SEX! :)
Live to dream.
to Tweety2000
Okay, so I honestly don't mean to offend you in anyway, I assume it is your religious beliefs that are the reason you believe this, but it isn't necessarily ruined when you have sex before marriage. Honestly if you know you're with the right person and you both are ready and want to show the next level of love for eachother, then why not. It can still be special to you, it just sorta didn't happen in the order religion tells us it should.
Live to dream.
Schools are supposed to provide education right? Well, teach kids to be responsible and give them condoms. Just, let the kids know that they should think be before they act.
i think that over a specific grade or age. and they should only be given one, then the school should contact parents to let them know.
Parent only cause more problems.
I agree with helper143c parents are only going to cause more problems. Trust me once either of your parents of you and your partner, they try to do everything in their power to stop it and its just more frustrating and stressful. Cause they do not feel they can leave you alone for even 5 minutes so they hover and its like all you want it time alone with your partner.
Live to dream.