Condom access in schools could be either good or bad. Whether or not students should have access to condoms in schools is a hotly debated topic. I will consider the teen pregnancy rate, rate of STDs in teenagers, how babies affect teenagers, and how condom access could prevent the spread of HIV in young people in the countries where HIV seems to be a large problem. I believe condom access in schools is a good thing, based on the available evidence.
If access to condoms in schools is a positive thing, it’s especially important to the United States, because the U.S. teen pregnancy, birth, sexually transmitted disease (STD), and abortion rates are substantially higher than those of other western industrialized nations. (“About Teen Pregnancy: Teen Pregnancy in the United States.” CDC.) However, access to condoms in school is probably most important in African nations because of the problem of HIV there: there is evidence that African teens tend to become sexually active at an earlier age and that “HIV prevention education that emphasizes condom use without providing sexually active youth with access to condoms” is to some degree futile. (“Condom Access in South African Schools: Law, Policy, Practice.” Plos Medicine.) As is obvious, the problem is to a large degree global, but in other industrialized countries the issue is less of a problem than it is for the United States and Africa.
Condom access in schools logically probably has a positive effect (meaning the rates go down) on the teen pregnancy rate, the rate of STDs in teenagers and the teen abortion rate. Also, condom access in school logically probably has a positive effect on the lives of the babies that would have been born to the teenagers and instead are born to stable, mature people with access to the resources they need to raise the babies. Finally, condom access in schools seems logically to help prevent the spread of HIV among teenagers in parts of the globe where HIV is a serious problem.
On the other hand, some claim that condom access in school increases the rate at which teens have sex, perhaps thereby increasing some negative factors because condoms can break (potentially leading to higher rates of pregnancy, STDs, etc). Also, some people believe teenagers shouldn’t be having sex at all. Finally, some claim that teens have ready access to condoms anyway (they’re available at any convenience store, grocery store, or Wal-Mart with no age restriction), so giving away condoms in school may lead the teens to have more sex simply because they have ready access to condoms.
The teen pregnancy rate fell 6% in 2012 to a live birth rate of 2.94 percent for teens 15-19 years old. This means that 3% of teens from 15-19 years old gave birth in 2012. (“About Teen Pregnancy: Teen Pregnancy in the United States.” CDC.) Cdc.gov also states that “more of those who are sexually active seem to be using birth control than in previous years.” The decline in teen pregnancy rates is obviously a good thing (and could be due to condom distribution in schools) seeing as how it’s common sense that teen pregnancies are rarely planned, and babies born to married parents have a better chance at normalcy. On the other hand, it is possible access to condoms in school subtly encourages teens to have sex, or gives them more ready access to condoms that could break, thus increasing the teen pregnancy rate.
Condom access in schools obviously has a positive effect on the rates of STDs among teens as well (at least, on the rate of AIDS.) In 1997, one-half of all new HIV infections in the United States occurred in people under the age of 25. One in four new HIV infections in the U.S. occurs in people under the age of 22, and condom availability programs in schools are successful in encouraging youth to use condoms. (“Sexually Active Teens Face Risks.” Advocates for Youth.) The logical deduction to be made from the preceding information is that condom programs in schools are successful in decreasing the number of new HIV infections in the US.
One possible compromise to this problem is to educate parents on the subject of STDs, HIV, teen pregnancy, etc. and provide the parents with condoms to distribute to their children. Such a solution would allow for each parent to assess the reaction of his/her own child to the condoms: would each child use them only if needed, or come to use them simply because the child has them?
In conclusion, whether or not to distribute condoms in schools is a hotly debated topic, both in the US and the rest of the world (especially in Africa). Condom distribution in schools appears to have a positive effect on the number of HIV cases, as well as a positive effect on the teen pregnancy rate. Some argue, however, that giving condoms to schoolchildren encourages them to have sex, perhaps actually increasing the teen pregnancy rate and rates of STDs. The debate rages on
Works Cited
“About Teen Pregnancy: Teen Pregnancy in the United States.”CDC, n.d. Web. 20 November 2014.
“Condom Access in South African Schools: Law, Policy, Practice.” Plos Medicine, n.d. Web. 20 November 2014.
“Sexually Active Teens Face Risks.” Advocates for Youth, n.d. Web. 20 November 2014.
