Should MCPS distribute condoms? Angelique Forrester says YES: Distribution aids teens

by Angelique Forrester

(article originally printed in the May 25, 2000 issue of Silver Chips)

According to the Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and Parenting (MOAPPP), 66 percent of females and 68 percent of males are having intercourse by age 18. With the prevalent increase in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and teenage pregnancy, researchers believe that it is important to encourage safe sex among adolescents. The most effective way that Montgomery County can promote safe sex is to allow condom distribution in public schools.

Pregnancy and STDs have become major problems among adolescents, according to several studies. So far, advocating abstinence by methods such as simply telling teens not to have sex has not decreased the number of teen parents or AIDS victims in our region. Although sex education is taught in schools, according to David Myers, author of Psychology Edition, society still emphasizes "saved sex" instead of "safe sex." In a study conducted by the Allan Guttmacher Institute in April 1999, researchers found that 106 out of every 1000 females between the ages of 15-19 in Maryland were pregnant or had had a miscarriage or abortion within the previous year.

Due to increased health hazards from unprotected sex, condoms should be readily available for teens. A box of condoms can cost as much as $8 for a pack of three. Not all students are able to afford high-priced condoms, yet low-income students are the ones most in need. According to MOAPPP, 60 percent of teenagers below the poverty line become pregnant by age 27.

Another growing problem among teens is the increase in STD cases. Nationally, AIDS strongly afflicts the teenage population. According to MOAPPP, one in every four sexually active teens is diagnosed with an STD every year. However, the organization Planned Parenthood says condoms, if used properly, can drastically decrease the rate of STD occurrences.

Health teacher Jennifer Shattles believes that if condoms are allowed in high schools, students would be able to go to a designated area where they could be instructed on how to use a condom properly.

If a child has a cut and the child¹s mother provides a Band-Aid to put on the wound, chances are the child will put on the Band-Aid incorrectly. But if the parent shows him how to treat the cut properly, the child will be more likely to treat himself correctly in the future. Similarly, if teens are given access to such a vital form of protection without proper instructions on how to use them, there is a high risk that the condom will be used incorrectly. "Students may not have the right information on how to use or buy condoms, but [if schools distribute condoms] they would be getting that information here," said Shattles.

As MOAPPP states, condoms are 90 percent effective. If the goal is to increase the use of contraception among sexually active teens, then condoms should not be hidden behind the counters at local stores. Instead they should be in areas that are heavily populated by teens, like in school.