Impact of Condom Availability on Students in High Schools Essay

Impact of Condom Availability on Students in High Schools - Essay Example Using past studies on this issue, this discussion will find out if condom availability programs in high schools have met their objectives or not. According to Schuster, Bell, Berry, and Kanouse, each day, American teenagers risk unwanted pregnancies, HIV, and other sexually transmitted diseases by participating in unprotected sex (67). Most sexually active teenagers do not consider the precautions, as well as the repercussions often involved in this. This is an uncontrollable fact, and so the best way to ensure their safety is by making protection available to them. This has however raised a lot of controversy, leading to a heated debate on the same. The proponents of condom availability programs argue that providing condoms to teenagers will lower their risks of unwanted pregnancies, HIV, and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). Those opposed to this program argue that condom availability will compromise the teenager’s sexual decisions and plunge them into promiscuity. This move also presents an assumption that schools condone teenage sex, and this encourages teens to engage in sexual activity (Schuster, Bell, Berry, and Kanouse 68). ... Owing to this, different researches and studies have been conducted to evaluate the viability of this program. These revealed a variety of results. One study revealed that the response of students on these programs was favorable. However, males made most use of the condoms than females. In another study, an increase in the use of condoms was realized. However, no change in the students’ sexual activity was realized (American Academy of Pediatrics 1464-1467). Ideally, it is the role of parents to educate their teenage children on sexual matters. This responsibility has however transferred to teachers, since teens spend a considerable amount of their time in schools and not at home. This is incorporated in schools’ sex education. Most schools take different approaches in teaching sex education. Some insist on abstinence, while others are for both abstinence and protected sex. Those that encourage abstinence do not avail condoms to their students. On the other hand, those that advocate for both abstinence and protected sex will always make condoms available to their students in order for them to practice safe sex. Every year, a considerable number of teenagers fall victim to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections due to lack of knowledge, and the unavailability of condoms within their reach. This therefore suggests that high schools need to teach their students on the use of condoms, and make condoms available to them. Failure to do this will not solve the problems related to teenage sexuality. In 1986, a survey was undertaken on teenage sex, and the results showed that condoms would influence positively on teenage sexual