SEX ED: Should condoms be available in public schools?

By April Perry
Hurricane High School

The debate over offering free condoms at public schools has been going on for several years now. Opponents argue that condoms in schools will encourage teens to have sex. Supporters say that free condoms in schools will help teens practice safe sex because once they decide they’re going to have sex, teens will have it, regardless of whether they’re doing so safely.

“To me, it’s promoting safe sex, not encouraging teens to just have sex,” said Aaron, a sophomore at Hurricane High School. “They should give us a little packet with at least one in it because despite what people think, it’s pretty easy to do stuff at school.”

Currently, some teens may be having unprotected sex because they don’t have access to or are too embarrassed to go buy condoms. But Hurricane sophomore Sadi says that’s no excuse.

“Having condoms in schools will promote sex,” she said. “Anyone can go to a gas station and buy them in the machines if they don’t want their parents to know.”

“I think our school should have condoms available to us because a lot of teen pregnancies could possibly be prevented,” countered Olivia, a junior at Hurricane.

Not only could pregnancies be prevented by offering free condoms in schools but the risk of acquiring sexually-transmitted diseases could also be reduced.

There are many ways that schools could make condoms available to teens. They could be located in the nurse’s office, the health teacher’s room or even in a vending machine in the bathroom. However, they need to be somewhere where students don’t have to ask for them because most students will be too embarrassed to ask for an adult for one.

But just because a school has condoms doesn’t mean that they have to be in plain view for everyone to see. Word travels fast in high school, so it’s likely that everyone would soon know where they were available.

In the end, most students are more likely to use protection if it is free and easy to obtain. Some teens will have sex regardless, so at least if schools have condoms available, they will be there if someone needs them.

What do you think? Send us an e-mail at flipside@wvgazette.com and let us know.