Should condoms be made available at schools?

Contributor: Curves Curves
Yes!
11/01/2011
Contributor: DaddyG DaddyG
Quote:
Originally posted by AngelvMaynard
Should teenagers be able to visit their school health clinic or nurse and be provided condoms, no questions asked?
I think that the unavalibility of free condoms is one of the problems that our kids face. Also they need to be taught better by thier parents and schools.
11/01/2011
Contributor: geliebt geliebt
Absolutely. Anyone who's been a teenager knows what it feels like to want to have sex at some point and ultimately, most teens are going to do it whether they have protection or not. I wouldn't necessarily encourage any young person to have sex, but the bottom line is that I want people to be safe and happy, and if that means giving out condoms willy-nilly, then so be it.
11/02/2011
Contributor: K101 K101
I hope it hasn't been forgotten that just because condoms are available it does not mean they'll prevent pregnancy 100% of the time or disease or they'll even get used!

When I was in school we were able to get them free from the front desk at our local family planning office. All the boys were happy to go get the condoms and waste them. It was a very popular thing to go get them after school daily. How often were they used? Not often! But our family planning is within walking distance of the school so there's no excuse for not being able to get them. I'm sorry but if you're too embarrassed to buy them in the store then would not be too embarrassed to show a girl your penis? I don't know any teen that's embarrassed by asking for condoms.

I voted no. Not in our schools anyways! Thankfully, that will not happen. Our pregnancy rate is not high and we've never had a large disease outbreak.Our kids here are raised very family oriented and where we're from, it's small and big on morals and values. Not that this will stop sex, of course, but it DOES and has kept our rates lower than almost any other area. Being so involved in our kids lives makes a difference. It's not a 100% solution to stop children from sex, but I promise it makes a diff.

Our kids prefer coming to us. I don't want them getting them from the school and the school would NEVER go for that. We ARE the parents here. We talk openly with ours about sex and they're comfortable (sometimes VERY comfortable. Lol) talking to us. We've created a safe, non-judgemental environment for them and have promised to keep it that way. They know that they can come to me with these things and not be killed for it. I of course would throw in the risks and what can happen to relationships and how to prepare them, etc. I wouldn't be a parent if I didn't add those things. We've already talked about it a lot and we've instilled strong values on things like how to treat women and what to expect from girls. I want them to know and understand the way girls will feel too since it's so different from the feelings they have or will have.

My point is, the kids have told us they want to be able to come to us. They're totally freaked by sex right now, but I'm positive they'll come to me first. I'm the easy going, fun, non-judgemental one that they go to. If it came down to it, I'd get the condoms, birth control, etc. But that's our way of doing it. I would try to stop them, but I'll make sure safety is totally available. There's no need for the school to do it if I am.

By the way, free condoms aren't the save the world solution. Kids have sex, yes, but we can do things as parents to help them make wise decisions.
11/02/2011
Contributor: BBW Talks Toys BBW Talks Toys
Quote:
Originally posted by K101
I hope it hasn't been forgotten that just because condoms are available it does not mean they'll prevent pregnancy 100% of the time or disease or they'll even get used!

When I was in school we were able to get them free from the ... more
I hope you haven't forgotten about:

1) Population. Let's say your little town has 200 teenage girls and 4 get pregnant, that's a 2% rate of teenage pregnancy. Now let's say that my little metropolis and the immediately outlying suburbs (I live in a major city in the Midwest, not huge city, but big enough) has 20,000 teenage girls, at the same percentage, that's 400 teenage girls. Even a small percentage can equal a very large number if you have a larger population. Say condoms being made readily available to kids helped that number by 25%. Say 1 girl in your population didn't get pregnant. That's 100 girls who didn't get pregnant. That's 100 girls who don't either have abortions, or drop out of school, or put their children into the system, or pawn them off on their parents, or work tirelessly at school and a job to try and raise a baby that they didn't want and weren't ready for. The numbers in a very large city like Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Las Angeles, Miami, and their surrounding suburbs are astounding.

2) Not everyone believes in the same things you do. Not everyone is teaching family values the way you, and some in your community, might be. It doesn't mean that they love their children any less than you love yours, they just teach different things.

3) Not every parent is as comfortable talking to their children about sex. OR, their only stance is "Don't do it," because they don't want to take the time to get involved with their children's lives, or don't feel like it's their place.

4) Some parents do let schools teach everything and don't educate their kids on their own because they don't feel like they should have to because the schools are "doing their jobs."

5) Many other factors that you may not consider: Single parents who work multiple jobs to make ends meet might not be around as much to supervise their kids. Parents who might be on drugs. Kids in the foster system who don't have anyone looking out for their best interest. (Not ALL foster parents do so for the right reasons.)

Just some food for thought.
11/03/2011
Contributor: Mistress Jezebel Mistress Jezebel
I think there's actually some schools where people provide condoms
11/04/2011
Contributor: eeep eeep
Teenagers are going to have sex no matter what. Most of my friends stole condoms, since they were not old enough to buy them. Or they would find an older friend or friend's sibling to buy them for them. The problem comes from those that steal them getting into trouble, or those that can't resist temptation when they can't get them.
My high school had a vendor in the girls room for all of 2 weeks at one point. Then they removed it due to parent's complaints.
11/04/2011
Contributor: BBW Talks Toys BBW Talks Toys
Quote:
Originally posted by eeep
Teenagers are going to have sex no matter what. Most of my friends stole condoms, since they were not old enough to buy them. Or they would find an older friend or friend's sibling to buy them for them. The problem comes from those that steal ... more
There's no age restriction on buying condoms.
11/04/2011
Contributor: pleasurehunter pleasurehunter
Either that or some sort of public access to condoms, perhaps schools are the not right place because they are there to promote education, but for some kids that might be their only resort i suppose
11/06/2011
Contributor: K101 K101
Quote:
Originally posted by BBW Talks Toys
I hope you haven't forgotten about:

1) Population. Let's say your little town has 200 teenage girls and 4 get pregnant, that's a 2% rate of teenage pregnancy. Now let's say that my little metropolis and the immediately outlying ... more
I DID NOT say that it means anybody is loved any less!
11/06/2011
Contributor: BBW Talks Toys BBW Talks Toys
Quote:
Originally posted by K101
I DID NOT say that it means anybody is loved any less!
What? I don't know how you're gleaning that from what I said.
11/06/2011
Contributor: AndromedaJane AndromedaJane
THere were condoms in vending machines in Sweden, too.
11/07/2011
Contributor: mmike mmike
While I like the idea of handing out condoms in high school, I think it should only be available to students who complete a course in sex ed/health.
11/09/2011
Contributor: null null
Yes!
My old high school used to have them available, then there was an outbreak of stds and the very intelligent higher ups decided it was because of the condoms. They stopped handing them out the pregnancies skyrocketed the next year.

Edit:
They are available at my college (same town) in the nurse's office. But I know all the nurses from church/babysitting me when I was younger, they're all very against premarital sex and WILL look down on you/talk down to you about it.
11/09/2011
Contributor: GonetoLovehoney GonetoLovehoney
The 'abstinence' sex education and showing pictures of only advanced forms of STD's doesn't work and seems rather harmful, actually. (Judging by what I was forced to learn in junior year of highschool when half the girls in class had kids already, ugh.)

I was one of VERY few women who graduated from high school that have never been pregnant. Providing condoms in the nurse's office is a step, but a small one, they should be taught how to use one as well.

Hell, even some guys I come across today have no clue how to put one on properly, leading to a waste of my non-latex condom and depending on the idiocy,no sex.

We need to teach children about sex in a clinical way, before puberty or just as it hits. (even the puberty 'education' was very lacking, they just showed us a pad and tampon, not even explaining that we'd be bleeding)

I feel very strongly about this subject,even in college, I know more than most of the people around me. >_<
11/09/2011
Contributor: Clandestine Clandestine
If it's going to happen anyway, it might as well be done more safely.
Some of my friends went to a high school with an attached daycare. Even though children are a huge responsibility, diseases are the biggest issue in my mind. Being conservative shouldn't get in the way of being healthy. Ever.

That being said, my junior high school had a condom machine in the male washroom. I didn't even know why we needed it, since I assumed everyone wasn't "active" at the time. So naive.
11/09/2011
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
Quote:
Originally posted by Clandestine
If it's going to happen anyway, it might as well be done more safely.
Some of my friends went to a high school with an attached daycare. Even though children are a huge responsibility, diseases are the biggest issue in my mind. Being ... more
Great post, Clandestine!

This quote should be used by someone's political campaign!

Being conservative shouldn't get in the way of being healthy. Ever.

Thank you for you wise observations.
11/14/2011
Contributor: Cherry21 Cherry21
Quote:
Originally posted by AngelvMaynard
Should teenagers be able to visit their school health clinic or nurse and be provided condoms, no questions asked?
definitely. My mother put me on birth control when I was 13. It taught me self responsibility. I am 21 now, and still don;t have a child. I know I am not ready now, and definitely wasn't ready when I was younger. I am still on birth control, and go get a pelvic exam and pap smear every year, no questions asked about ti. Its good for me to know whats going on inside me. I think girls, and boys as well, should be aware of how their bodies work, as well as know how to prevent things they are not prepared for. Sex is sex. Teenagers have sex. Teaching them about the responsiblity of sex is the job of the parents, and ours as society as well. Offering them a no hassle way to protect themselves is a major step.
11/22/2011
Contributor: tlaskowski tlaskowski
I want them for the simple fact that teens may have sex so why npot let them have safe sex! even if its with them self and then want a condom! teach our kids how to be smart! isnt that what school is for the teach our kids so why not teach them how to be smart in all subjects? I will always have condoms for my kids here at home if they should ever need one! now with that said i wan tmy kids to wait but if they choose not to well im keeping them safe!
12/02/2011
Contributor: MR Chickhabit MR Chickhabit
condoms are a good idea.

period.
12/11/2011
Contributor: dhig dhig
yes, absolutely yes
12/11/2011
Contributor: HannahPanda HannahPanda
Always!
12/11/2011
Contributor: Collogue Collogue
Quote:
Originally posted by AngelvMaynard
Should teenagers be able to visit their school health clinic or nurse and be provided condoms, no questions asked?
If not provided by the school, then they should be able to know the names of clinics that will give them out for free, or perhaps sell them for a small fee (like ten cents a condom or packet of lube)
12/13/2011
Contributor: whitknee whitknee
Quote:
Originally posted by AngelvMaynard
Should teenagers be able to visit their school health clinic or nurse and be provided condoms, no questions asked?
Yes practice safe sex!
12/16/2011
Contributor: STM STM
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
It glorifies it in a way that makes it seem like everything is going to be okay no matter what. Their parents eventually back their decisions and show support by taking the kid when she has to go to school or work or whatever.

One girl was ... more
That is exactly what I thought about the show. There is no way these girls could do all these things without that extra cash. In one show the teen mom got a boob job. Really! I have a boy, am married so there are two incomes and there is no way I could afford a boob job. My husband and I have decided to have a stable home for our son and make sure that we are okay financial. Now, we are a little older than her but still, if you decided to have sex then you should be ready to take on responsibly for whatever happens afterward.
12/21/2011
Contributor: STM STM
I have an infant son and this is something I am already worrying about. Kids are having sex younger and younger and getting pregnant at 11. It happened at my youngest sisters elementary school and then middle school. I was raised that available condoms and birth control was basically the devil. I can not even explain the trouble I would have been in for asking for birth control or questions even. I was lucky that I didn't get pregnant in high school but that was very rare. I think that I will try to teach my son to wait but know that he can talk to me, if that ever happens lol. I will make things at home available for him and not make it shameful or embarrassing as my parents did. Sex isn't shameful or embarrassing, it's natural, as long as it is a reasonable age.
12/21/2011
Contributor: HoopKitten HoopKitten
Quote:
Originally posted by AngelvMaynard
Should teenagers be able to visit their school health clinic or nurse and be provided condoms, no questions asked?
Condoms should be readily available to ALL sexually active people, regardless of age.
01/01/2012
Contributor: HoopKitten HoopKitten
On another note, I was sexually traumatized in school by a gym/health teacher who was not comfortable with teaching sex education. She made sex out to be a dirty, shameful act. I was not in a district that taught abstinence. I believe in teaching young adults open mindedness and that sex should be safe, sane, consensual, and FUN! I would personally rather give my own child sex education and know that they are absorbing the right message.
01/01/2012
Contributor: quinceykay quinceykay
Well I don't think they should be like, passed out or anything, but they should be made freely available in the nurse's office or whatever. It shouldn't be such a big stigma about being able to get condoms at a young age.
01/02/2012
Contributor: GoneBabyGone GoneBabyGone
Quote:
Originally posted by AngelvMaynard
I'm raising two boys and when they get to a certain age, there will be a bowl of condoms in a closet or under the sink in their bathroom or some other discreet place so that they don't have to ask for them, they can just grab them. I want ... more
I don't have kids but I always said when and if I do, I will keep a drawer of condoms that "Magically" never goes empty. They can just take them when they need them, at least they are being safe.
01/02/2012