The effects of Condom Irresponsibility

There are three main controversial approaches to reducing rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy among North American teenagers: abstinence-only programs, safer sex education, and making condoms available in schools. Which of these is effective? The American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Scientific Affairs recently concluded that “there are no published studies that measure behavioral effects of the `abstinence-only' curricula,” that “evaluations of safer-sex sexuality education show inconsistent but promising results,” and that programs that make condoms available in schools “usually demonstrate increased condom use.” (Blake, 955-962).

United States Representative Tom Coburn attacked that conclusion, claiming that the distribution of school condoms conflicts with “common sense” and increases condom use but does not necessarily lead to lower rates of either pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. The implementation of abstinence education in schools, he maintained, was followed by lower rates of teen pregnancies out of wedlock (Blake, 955-962).

Numerous studies have shown that access to condoms helps lower teen pregnancy. The mechanism is well understood: when condoms are used they have a 98% or better chance of preventing pregnancy. While access to condoms does not mean every teen will always use them, each use is a help. "Massachusetts, where condoms are distributed to students in some high schools, had a teen pregnancy rate in 2004 of 22 per 1,000 teenage girls, far below recent national averages of more than 80 pregnancies per 1,000. The state had only 11 HIV diagnoses among teens in 2004. Naturally, education about use of contraceptives also helps. In contrast, propaganda about abstinence has been shown to be completely useless. Condoms have the additional advantage of preventing sexually transmitted diseases. However, because use of condoms is never consistent, a much better way to prevent teen pregnancy would be contraceptive implants (Brener, 182-18).

Most of the teenagers remember their behavior as a teen, from the age of 14 or so a person would have a single condom in his/her possession all of the time. But few of them have absolutely zero trouble buying them as they feel by purchasing condoms they were getting the final piece of the teenage wet dream sex puzzle and they would readily go into a CVS or other pharmacy to buy condoms as often as they think it is necessary.

Trouble with condoms is the transportation issue. Anyone would not put 3 or 6 in pocket as they would not comfortably fit. Once can put one condom in pocket and feel armed and ready for the good times to begin. Have they done things right? Yes if in a less than perfect world teenagers only had sex once per session (Brener, 182-18).

Just how concerned are parents and school administrators?  There has been much debate on this topic and one website, (http://www.law.uh.edu/healthlawperspectives/HealthPolicy /981021Condoms.html) outlines the ongoing debate.  This debate includes many parents taking on the school system to get rid of condom availability in their children's schools, citing such reasons as their fundamental right to remain free from governmental interference with ...