condom distribution in schools condones promiscuity and incre

English Four Tuesday, January 7,1997 CONDOM DISTRIBUTION IN SCHOOLS CONDONESPROMISCUITY AND INCREASES TEEN PREGNANCIESA majority of high schools in the United States do not distribute condoms to students. Those few schools that do provide condoms state their reason that in doing so, they will safelydecrease the number of teen pregnancies and cases of sexually transmitted diseases. But ifstudents are exposed to condom distribution, they will get the idea that premarital sex is okay,and will do it without consideration. Statistics showing the condom failure rate turn the belief ofreducing teen pregnancies around. Distributing condoms in schools condones promiscuity andincreases teen pregnancies.Condoms were invented to provide a barrier for protection against pregnancy andsexually transmitted diseases. Since then, other forms of birth control have been introduced andproven more reliable than condoms. Depo-Provera, "The Pill", and Norplant are such methods. Every day, sex education classes promote condoms as means of safe sex or a least safer sex. Butresearch on condoms provides no such guarantee. Texas researcher Susan Weller reports thatcondoms are only 87 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. Condoms do appear to beeffective in preventing pregnancy when used "correctly and consistently". Most individuals,however, do not use them "correctly and consistently". In a municipal hospital family planningclinic, 36 percent of 106 people experienced condom breakage, and five percent of the women'sunplanned pregnancies were attributed to broken condoms. A high school student cannot affordthe risk of becoming pregnant. The Catholic Church states that sex exists for means of expressing love between twopeople and creation only, and frowns upon premarital sex or sexual intercourse without using acontraceptives. Catholic values state that abstinence should be practived and is the safestmethod of birth control there is.Sexual promiscuity should not be taken as lightly as it is. Movies, songs, and televisiongive messages that sexual promiscuity is "cool and attractive". If condoms are distributed inschool, students would be living the life of a soap opera star. They see it as a way to be cool andprotected at the same time. First, reputations and feelings are at risk, and second, students arerisking teen pregnancy. Today's teenagers face many pressures in their life including school, parents, friends andattitude. Society has been sending mixed messages to teens on sex. Parents tell their children towait, while the media says "Go ahead and do it". If parents and sex educators teach students thatthey should wait, providing condoms in schools will pressure teens into sex earlier, increasingthe number of sexually active students.Sexual promiscuity should not be taken as lightly as it is. Movies, songs, and televisiongive messages that sexual promiscuity is "cool and attractive". If condoms are distributed inschool, students would be living the life of a soap opera star. They see it as a way to be cool andprotected at the same time. First, reputations and feelings are at risk, and second, students arerisking teen pregnancy. Surprisingly, many schools throughout the United States adopt abstinence-only programs. The enthusiasm for these programs is well evident. Although the message of abstinence iscriticized by some as inadequate, there are good reasons for promotion of abstinence. Teenagerswant to learn about abstinence; not "everyone's doing it". In 1992, Center for Disease Controlfound that 43 percent of teenagers ages 14 to 17 had engaged in sexual intercourse at least once. This is less than half, which means that a majority of teens are not doing it. Abstinence preventspregnancy. For example, the San Marcos Junior High in San Marcos, California, adopted anabstinence-only program developed by Teen-Aid. The curriculum dropped the school'spregnancy rate from 147 to 20 within a two-year period. America faces a long road ahead of them in fighting disease and poverty. The battle maynever be won, but our children, the future leaders of the United States, need to be set on the rightpath before we can begin our road to victory. . 7,1997 CONDOM DISTRIBUTION IN SCHOOLS CONDONESPROMISCUITY AND INCREASES TEEN PREGNANCIESA majority of high schools in the United States do not distribute condoms to students. Those few schools that. okay ,and will do it without consideration. Statistics showing the condom failure rate turn the belief ofreducing teen pregnancies around. Distributing condoms in schools condones promiscuity andincreases. providing condoms in schools will pressure teens into sex earlier, increasingthe number of sexually active students.Sexual promiscuity should not be taken as lightly as it is. Movies, songs, and