Giving Condoms Out At School

Not true, I'm 17 years old and watch cartoon network frequently. I suppose though that my tv viewing habits aren't very representative of those from the majority of my age group, considering that about the only other channels I watch are Sci-Fi, Tech Tv, and The Science Channel.

I'm in favor of professional sex education but only in high school. Generally, kids in elementary and middle school/junior high just aren't mature enough to deal with the subject in a serious manner. I remember in my 8th grade health class back at middle school we had to watch a sex ed video and all most of us did was laugh at it (myself included).

Its true, that parents a considering raising kids sort of a backseat job. I think schools should be able to give out condoms and talk about sex. However, they shouldnt promote it. They should also talk about std's and pregnancy.

So when it comes down to it, my theory is to tell them "Abstinence is the best answer, but if your determined to do it, at least use a condom."

Correct when you say you aren't the majority.. thats for sure. Remember what the rest of the population watches. I share your viewing habits but we don't count for much of the population. Lets take for example the tv show "Everybody Loves Raymond" which has gotten very good ratings I hear. There is sexual conduct in that show yet i'd say a good portion of the audience is teenage based. The same goes for Seinfield, Friends, Will & Grace, etc. You see my point? there is sexual conduct in comedy as well.. yes its rather subliminal as they don't blurt out things like "lets go have sex." Rather its more comedy based which brings in a wide range of audiences.

Sure, lets give our kids condums....and lets give them a bottle of Jack and a pack of Marlboros while were at it. Hey and lets make sure they understand the proper way to use profanity as part of their english lessons and show hacker films in school. Maybe we should even teach about the fine arts of piercing and tattos. Come on...I'm a parent and I actually do parent my children. I don't need or want the school system, the government or even my neighbors deciding what and when my children need to learn about sex. Teaching the biology of the human body and the possible risks of sex (i.e. std's) is one thing - that is science and is the schools place to teach. But when it comes to moral decisions the government needs to stay out of it! Saying "they're going to do it anyway" is a cop out and irrisponisble on the part of the adults who are supposed to be setting the standards. You're basically telling them they are animals who have no control of their own bodies and can't possibly abstain. We have to teach our children to be responsible for their actions and how to have convictions and make sound decisions. This is just another way of teaching us from a young age that we need big brother to protect us because we cant control ourselves. Bull!

Everyone is saying this isn't the 50's anymore and it is easier to discuss these things with a "professional". First of all that's a laugh - a professional! Professional what? When it comes to sex and moral decisions I believe I have the same (probably better) credentials as any public school teacher. And I pose a challenge here - since our school system has become so open about sex, handing out condoms and teaching more explicit sex education has teen prgnancy (not births given the abortion option but actual pregnancy) and overall transmission of STD's decreased? Can you give me some real stats to show this is improving our health, reducing teen pregnancy and improving our society in any way?

I was in 5th grade when my class started handing out condoms to the boys.

I see nothing wrong with it and I agree with the handing out of condoms in school.

Not being from the US, can you guys state ages when you refer to the 3rd grade etc. perhaps even draw up a table of grades and ages.

But no, condoms should not be given to under 14s by schools. Ansd sex education is better from science teachers - school nurses seem convinced all kids are retarded (most are), which is most irritating

Grade ages list


kindergarten-5 to 6
1rst grade- 6 to 7
2nd grade-7 to 8
3rd grade-8 to 9
4rth grade- 9 to 10
5th grade-10 to 11
6th grade-11 to 12
7th grade-12 to 13
8th grade-13 to 14
9th grade-14 to 15
10th grade-15 to 16
11th grade-16 to 17
12th grade-17 to 18

Condoms don't make for safer sex. There are only two people who believe that, the distributers and those who have never had sex!

By all means I think the school should hand out condoms if the kids ask for it. I don't think just because they have a condom they are going to use it. Hey I got a condom let's go screw. Alot of parents don't do what they are to do about things like this so let the school do it. School is for educating kids so let them do it in all aspects. You pay for it.

What?

Condoms reduce the risk of STDs and can prevent pregnancy if properly put on, either your a religous nut who hasnt had sex (as suggested by your tone), or someone who had a condom break on them.

Yes but if they are doing it at fifth grade, well then.

I think that, the younger they are the worse. Like some of you said, most of these kids don't understand sex, so middle schoolers, and even elementary students, will perform sexual acts without understanding consequences. I begin receiving and giving oral sex when I was in 7th grade. My parents taught me about sex, so I wasn't as clueless to sex as most students at that age. But if I started in 7th grade, god:@@nly knows how early they are starting now.

Badkitty brought up a good point about not trusting the schools. I would ask you then, do you homeschool your children? Maybe if parents actually homeschooled their children, they wouldn't have to worry about condoms in schools. But the fact is that a lot of children go to public schools and a lot of parents never talk to their kids about sex.
Obviously, parents should talk about it, but thats not the way it works in every case. If they are so concerned about sex in schools, then maybe the parent should be concerned about all the classes they are taking.
I mean, how bout this, how about the parent just freaks out the child by saying they will die if they have sex, there you go problem solved, everything will be alright.
Nerdling was right when he talked about professionals, you can't be sure that 1. a parent will talk about 2. there view will be unbiased 3. it will contain all relevent information.

BTW. I learned about sex from HBO and cinemax, my parents never talked about it, and I went to a catholic school that just went down the list of STDs, didn't learn anything about protection...

Condoms at school? At high school sure, but middle or elementary? No. Condom vending machines in highschool? Sure. Make it easier to have safe sex. I know, parentsa and religous nuts say condoms make kids have sex, it puts a gun at their head, the one on the neck, and forces them to have sex. But in reality, a if a kid is going to have sex, he will have sex, if he isn't, then he won't. Sorry, having a condom in your wallet does not force you to have sex, it just makes sure the ones that do will not be having kids or spreading most STDs. This is a good idea though, for highschool. 5th grade is a little young for condoms, but not sex ed. Just the basics though, what it means to get an erection, why it happens, about the changes in your body, so forth. Wait till middle school to start getting into details.

We have a WINNER! I was trying to prove that, a lot of times kids will have sex without planning on it, so they will have unprotected sex, etither because they dont have a condom, or will not go out to get one. This just allows the sudents that hey, if your going to, use one.

Why did they just give the condom to the boys?

What's wrong with the girls being given them as well? They need the protection too.

[edit on 16/6/2004 by iwouldificould]

I definatly think that high schools should give out condoms and teach about safe sex. While it is the parents right to tell there kids about sex and stds most parents could not teach it as well as a teacher. miss information is a problem with teen sex. Giving out condoms,and showing the proper way to use them so not going to give kids a reason to have sex. the ones that already have will continue to, the ones that are thinking about with will have resources and information to make the right decsion for them and the ones who are not interseted wont.

yep you are right, a fellow co-worker's wife works at a school, and the kids there have these bracelets codes.
Sexual favors are color coded and if a boy rips one of a girls arm, she has to give him that particular favor.
Their are kids grade 7-9.

She also watches them outside and in cafeteria, etc... she often over-hear those conversations and all, some of them have group sex and all

From my own point of view, it should be the parents job to teach kids about sex, not the schools. The schools allready teaches so many wrong informations, and shows bad habits, etc... that they shouldn't try to teach sex. I've seen many BAD stuff at my school with teachers with really BAD influence. Teachers' pets having it their way by creating lies about others and get them punished for no reasons, and when the non-pets had something to complain about, they were classified like lyers. Yeah, that's good stuff to teach, how are they gonna teach sex now? All that there is going to be in sex and loving relations years from now are cheaters and lyers.

I had sexEd at school, it wasn't THAT bad, watching a video and that's it... But i would have prefered a good talk with my parents.
They would have had done it, but since most parents voted that they should teach it at school and they knew what we were going to see and learn, they letted it be.

I guess every school and every district have their own sexEd, ours wasn't that bad AT the time.

Its easy to say dont hand out condoms to middle school students, that is until you find out that there are 12 and 13 year old girls getting pregnant from 12 and 13 yr old boys. I know of several incidences of this happening in our school system and the sad fact is that the pregnancies are starting to shift to younger age groups. I truly believe this is happening because of television exposure and parents not doing their job properly. It is terrible to hear of kids wearing these bracelets to school but it doesnt suprise me. I applaud the teachers for at least making an attempt to educate kids on the safety issues and the perils of unsafe sex. I would say dont knock those who are trying to help, get out and join the cause. If anything start with your own kids that would at least make a small dent in a growing problem.

My school started teaching me sex in eight grade. There were some of us who could handle it. But there were quite a few who couldn't. I would say wait about till high school. Of course on a more individual basis its probably a good idea to start earlier. Thats were the parents come in. Unfourtunalty not all parents are trustworthy. As for handing out condoms I would say since many of those kids are going to do it with out planning I would think that it would be a good idea to hand them out in high school. The problem is how many kids aren't going to throw them out.