Thursday, July 21, 2011

Condom Distribution in Schools

In many schools across the nation there are debates of whether or not it is appropriate to distribute condoms in schools. There are many pros and cons to this argument, but I am asking you to choose one or the other. Should administration distribute condoms to kids that are not of age to have sex? Is this an invitation to have intercourse? Is this simply a means of protection? Do you think there is anything wrong with condoms being passed out at middle schools, or in any other level of school besides college? Should there be a source of sexual education for the kids that is mandatory before they are allowed to get the condoms? Do you have any other thoughts on this issue? Thank you!

-Tashaylee Graddy

16 comments:

English student said...

It’s giving children permission to have sex,so it should not be allowed in schools.
Junior high schools should only incorporate basic health and biology classes. Because their minds may not fully comprehend what exactly is going on around them and how to deal with certain situations.
I believe that the parents or health care provider should decide when it is appropriate to discuss more in depth about sexual education. In fact, it is the parents’ moral obligation and responsibility to talk about this important aspect of their life. The parents owe it to their children, in order for them to be successful in their life. If the parents don’t address this issue seriously and frequently, it could end up damaging them; especially, in this society we’re living in today, when it’s too easy to be influenced and judged by others. This is why children are in particular need of support by family, especially parents, if not, then by their physician. It starts in middle school where adolescence receives a lot of peer pressure. Then it becomes a game to see who has more sex. But, without any support and guidance they are more than likely to fall in between the pressures.
Children at this age are in fact still children. They need rules and discipline. They are very fragile and are in desperate need of authority. Parents are the keys to saving them from mistakes of, lifelong dramatizing, humiliating embarrassments.
High school students should have health and biology classes just like junior high students. But, high schools should set an age at which they should teach sex education; that way their mind would be more capable of comprehending what sex really is.
We see higher percentages of teen pregnancies every year and an increased rate of sexually transmitted diseases. These figures could decrease if the parents, schools, physicians, and the government would provide more education and make certain rules to contain these outbreaks.
In high school there is even more peer pressures than in middle schools. Statistics shows that young girls in high school are more prone to becoming pregnant than in middle schools, as well as with STD’s. Parents should claim the responsibility and teach their own child about sex. Even though it may be hard, it will even be harder to see their own son or daughter sick or struggling. Parents shouldn’t leave all the sex education up to the school. Yes, school is a place for learning, but sex is personal and should be dealt with privately. On another note, the government should incorporate a rule on high school students about having sex because it’s not only affecting the child, but it’s affecting the whole society. Parents should be more than just a parent; they should be a friend, confidant and most importantly; a teacher.

Part 1
Lori

English student said...

As young boys and girls continually develop and get older, they’re going to want to experiment and want to know what the human body is all about. It’s a normal reaction. The key to success is to be or get educated and learn as much as your mind is capable.
When the teenager finally reaches high school; the doctor should provide and discuss all this vital information. Also, by parents giving the physician permission to make the condoms readily available, the physician should supply the adolescence with condoms.
By schools giving the children condoms, it’s like saying “here, go have sex, just take this (condom) “. Meaning the schools don’t really care if they have sex; and is actually encouraging it. It’s just like a commercial; for example: cigarettes or liquor; it introduces itself a bad image on the young people, and the children are the most susceptible. Another indication is where if anyone, be it parents, doctors, or schools impose that the child practice abstinence; maybe then the child would feel like they’re being restrained or punished, or may even perhaps act out and have sex just to despite them. The parents could avoid this, if they would sit with their child and explain to them, in detail, exactly why this act is good or not good. For example: What would happen if they have unprotected sex? Pregnancy, STD’s, perhaps something more serious. They should explain life after a pregnancy occurs, life after inflicted with a disease, and even how they would deal with the physcological issues. It could be very detrimental to them; in regards to their education, physically fitness and appearance, and their emotions. In return, a child should be able to understand easier and spare them from their friends and the rest of society from discriminating them, and looking down on them. This can be very excruciating. Furthermore, if the parents educated their child, the child would know that their parents loves them and wants the best for them.
If we look back 50 years ago, families had rules and structure. Then, the parents were the only people that children had to rely on; to teach them. Also, religion may have played a role in the monogamous relationships. A large percentage of women that married were virgins at the time of marriage. Again, condoms should not be distributed to children through the schools. It’s inviting and tempting but yet it’s more harmful than good. This is why in this “new” society, there should be more education by the parents, doctors and the schools, and it should not only be forced upon the school to teach the children. There is more to life than just open sexual relationships, which in return defers the child away from his studies and away from what is actually real in society. The children in return should listen and obey the rules otherwise there needs to be consequences. For example: It’s like the entire universe; without laws, order, structure, rules, and obedience; life would be in total chaos.


Part 2
Lori

English student said...

if we start letting our children have sex this early; then it would be a sign of the times. we are not guiding or taking responsibilty over our children. we might as well go back to the cloning board and implant the proper way of doing things, to have a better society. what happened to the rebellious years, when you could jump in your car and do what you wanted. then face the consquence, and get your car taken away. now we are going to have to take the wheels off the tricycle. If a school passes out condom this early. we need to have more PTA meetings to discuss when this should have taken place; and how to prevent this from happening. children having children is going to give a whole new meaning to grandparents. you are going to be a grandparent before you graduate college. i know you are talking about condoms, not every one works the way they should. It is time we talked to our children more and the schools taught things; like sex education when they are suppose to. kevin h

English student said...

I don't think that any school, even College should be allowed to distribute condoms. The idea of school is to get an education, not an education on sex. There are many other places that teens and young adults can get free condoms. My daughter was in the sixth grade last year and I had to sign a permission slip for her to attend a sex education class. The parent that I am I signed the permission slip and let her attend but when she got home I talked to her about what was discussed in class. I was very pleased to hear that they discussed changes in the body both male and female, how to not be influenced by peer pressure to become sexually active, and when they are ready to discuss it with their parents so that proper protective measures are in place to prevent certain things. I think that the only people who should be responsible for educating their child or patient on sex should be the parent or Doctor. Passing out condoms and or any other form of birth control is saying it is okay to be sexually active at any age, as long as you are protected. I understand that there are parents out there who can't or won't so the birds and the bees talk, that is when they (the parents) discuss it with the Doctor to help the child and themselves understand what becoming sexually active really means.
Amber Johnson-Garcia

English student said...

Who and When was their an age established for sex.The last time I checked, it was up to each individual to decide when they were ready for sex. When I was in school I received sex education class in 6th grade I also went through a sexual orientation class as a freshmen in high school.Understand I am not condoning sex at an early age and feel that students who receive sex education class or attend some type of education class on sex, in addition to receiving help or education from parents wont still go out and have sex, but to many parents rely on the school to educate their children, besides anymore education a child can receive can only be beneficial.

I also believe that condoms should be available for students in high school, with that being said I also believe if a student is abusing their privileges they should be talked to by a sexual counselor, so that they understand the risk or maybe should even have students take a sexual awareness class before they can gain access to the condoms. No one is telling people to have sex, by allowing access to condoms I feel it shows the school district cares about the well being of their students.

I do have an issue with condoms being available at the middle school or younger grades. This is a time when students are starting to realize their bodies are changing and understanding why they are changing. I fewel this would be more beneficial than just making condoms available. By the time I had reached high school I had already had sex and my parents were not able to relate to any issues I had, so by the time my daughters reached high school I made sure that they were aware of the changes and some of things they might experience when they were entering 8th grade and high school.

I fully believe if my parents would have taken the time to talk to me about sex when I was younger and told me about what could have happened then I wouldn't have been a father at 16. My goal as a parent was to make sure my daughters didn't repeat or travel the same road I went down when I was going through junior high and high school. They were not to happy about having to sit down and talk to me about sex, but I made them do it anyways, and my oldest daughter has told me how much it helped her as she was growing up and even told her sister after I had had the talk with her that a lot of the stuff I had said she would find out was true in the way boys will try and manipulate girls feelings to get what they want.

In conclusion, I feel it is a good idea to have condoms available in high school, but also feel students should have to receive some sort of sexual education either through the school or a sexual adviser where the students confidentiality would be kept and they could be given a code that the school would know the student had completed the course.

Buddy Carpenter

English student said...

Kids are going to have sex, whether we give them a condom or not. Look at the statistics of teenage pregnancy. Parents or either putting it upon the schools to teach their children about sex, or schools don’t want to get involved because it’s a sticky topic. So children are left to fill in the blanks. All children got through puberty and become curious. What do you do when you’re curious about something—you try it out. If you give a teenager a condom, the teenage pregnancy and abortion rates would drop in a heartbeat! A teenager is not going to go out buy a condom, because then everyone would know they are having sex, and teens don’t want adults knowing their business. So take one, take all, just cover it and be responsible. If we ignore it, as we have then we continue to have the same problems.
Heather Denam

English student said...

I am against the distribution of condoms in schools. I feel it is encouraging kids under 18 (which are still considered children in most places) to engage in sexual activity. Condoms are a form of protection but I don't think kids need to be receiving that while they are under the age of 18. I believe there is a lot wrong with condoms being handed out in middle schools. Most of those kids aren't even teenagers yet! Some of them haven't even developed their hormones, much less know what to do with them. I think it would create too much pressure and even confusion for those kids if they were handed condoms and told to be safe. I think simple health classes need to be taught in grade school and through most of middle school. After that, I think the sex education needs to be incorporated into this class. If they are going to pass out condoms in high school...they should at least make sure the kids know what they're doing with them.
-Hannah Miller

English student said...

I believe that condoms should be passed out in schools. Sure you could make the argument that passing out condoms is a consent for sexual intercourse but we already know that kids don't need our consent to have sex, they're doing it anyway. You can't really put an age limit on when a child begins to experiment with sex. I do however believe that sex education should be a mandatory class that all children are required to take. Making sex education mandatory would probably decrease the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and decrease the number of teens who get pregnant.

To say that a child is required to take sex education before you would offer them a free method of protecting against unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases is not a good idea. The chances that a child would choose to use a condom are decreased greatly.

Khattab

English student said...

I noticed many of you think that middle school is too young for intercourse, and im sure you would like to believe that children in middle school don't have sex, but i know many young kids in middle school that have already lost their virginity and aren't even 13 years old yet. I believe that people are going to have sex anyways so wouldn't it be better to give them a means of protection? it would be better to have a bunch of horny teenagers running around having sex then having a bunch of pregnant 13-14 years olds. Seriously.

Sex is human nature, whether you like it or not. If you make kids feel like sex is inappropriate then they're gonna have the mindset that that goes for any age. they will be 25 years old and feel like they committed a sin. Encourage kids not to do it, but don't take away the only protection that they have if they do, do it.

English student said...

I think that condom distribution in school should not be a public matter, like telling all students that they have to come grab one, but at the older ages, if a kid chooses to participate in those actions then they should be available. If a student is forced to receive a condom I truly believe that they believe it is the right thing to do and should participate in those actions. Just like if you give a kid a cake and then tell him not to eat it, of course he is going to eat it. It is really all about curiosity, the student wants to know why they are receiving these and why it is such a big deal to the staff.

I do not have a problem with condoms being passed out to anyone 18+, but I think it would just be ridiculous for them to be passed out in middle school, and even in the lower parts of high school, even though that doesn't stop some people of that age. If they want to participate in those actions, which is illegal, then they should but the school, legally, can't condone the activities. A kid that young really doesn't think right in the first place, and giving them an opportunity will only encourage them.

I think that sexual education is a good thing, even though many high school kids who take it think it is a joke because they know everything that is being taught. I think that it should be taught at a younger age even though some parents might resent that because they are trying to shelter their kids, well, the kids are going to know what sex is by the 8th grade at least. And I think that would be a perfect time to introduce sexual education.

Jake Bock

English student said...

I think in middle school its propitiate but in lower levels of schooling it shouldn't. Kids start having sex in middle school and should know about safe sex. Kids just need to know that just because they are handing out and learning about condoms they should go do it, No. It would be to keep young girls and boys from having baby's like they are today.


Robert McClinton

English student said...

Alex

I think that the sooner kids learn about this subject the better within reason. 5th graders anymore are the ones who are having intercourse and they need to know what they are actually doing. I think that sex education should start out in 5th grade. With the media now a day it revolves around sex. Either in music, movies, or even television, people are having sex. If kids don’t learn about this early then there could be a lot of people walking around either on sex offenders’ lists, underage pregnancies, and other troubles. As far passing out the condoms, I think they should learn how to use them, but not have them as take home objects. I also think that when there is a sex education class that they shouldn’t do the “abstinence is the only way” style. Kids are curious and they don’t care about that. They want to know about how sex goes. I think the best way to teach this subject is just to explain it all, but not to send out condoms.

English student said...

In terms of this debate I personally don’t think that kids should be given condoms. I think middle schoolers should still go through a sex education course, and that they should be taught the basic themes of abstinence and the general functions of the reproductive system. Middle school students should not be able to have access to condoms. Believe it or not the age in which girls can get pregnant is becoming lower and lower. I have a cousin who’s only ten years old, and she’s already started getting her periods. TEN YEARS OLD PEOPLE. That means that my baby cousin is eligible to get pregnant and she’s only Ten Years Old. She’s ten years old and already a candidate for pregnancy. That means that 5th graders are able to get pregnant. Soon there will be a new reality show sweeping the nation called “9 years old and 9 months pregnant” or “9 years and 9 months”. But giving a middle school student a course in abstinence and sex ed. is one thing, but giving them condoms is another. I actually do believe that giving young students contraceptives encourages them to have intercourse. Or it at the very least it boosts their curiosity. So in review Sex ED. Yes! Condoms to kids NOOOOO!!!

Pikachu

English student said...

I think that sex ed should be a mandatory class in middle school. Teenagers don’t start having sex in high school. They begin in early middle school and sometimes in fifth grade. Parents seem like they couldn’t care less about their child and how in middle school their hormones are out of control. Kids find out about sex a lot younger nowadays and begin to experiment with it not long after they find out about it. Passing out condoms at school does look like an invitation to sex, but kids are already doing it. Everyone wants to try it out. It’s like a fad that gets passed down to people younger and younger and never wears out. Middle school was only a couple of years ago for me and it was bad enough then. My younger sister who is currently in middle school sees pregnant girls walking around in the hallways who are her same age. At least giving them a condom tells them they should be using protection. I think that parents of children at that age should be the one to talk to their children. Children in middle school are very immature and see sex ed as a joke.
Ayah

English student said...

I wouldn't want my kid to come home with condoms. They are preschool and elementary ages. I think that sex education should be taught to high school students as an elective not mandatory course. Some things should be left up to parenting. I think that distributing condoms to kids of high school age and adults in college is ok. Some kids do start early than others but that is something a parent should sit down and talk to their children about when them emotions and questions arises. There is no one way in explaining sex to children because all children aren't the same. The way one child may perceive might not be the way the other kids do. Some kids mature earlier than others, so it's ok to teach them because they think they are ready. There is no way of giving permission to have sex because if a person is curious enough they will try it. It is up to us as parents to make sure they know what they need to know about protecting themselves and their partners.
Makeisha Riley

English student said...

No I do not think that condoms should be passed out to grades lower than high school. High school is when i think kids should start learning about sexual intercourse. I don’t think grammar school should be giving out condoms but i think there should be some sex education. If you give a child a condom he/she is clueless about it. Then they will want to find out what it is for. Most kids do have sex early and they do need to be protected, but you don’t want to teach him/her something that they don’t know already. Some kids don’t get sex education from their parents so they have to learn from somewhere.

Akemia Slaughter