Wow, this is a loaded question for me.
Now I’m not naïve nor ignorant when it come to this subject what so ever, and I can make arguments for both pro administrators providing condom and against administrators providing condoms, which I am against the idea, but I could possibly be bias just due to the sole reason that I am a mother.
So, reasons to be pro, I can see how the distributing of condoms at school could make teens be more sexually responsible, because it can establish the concept of safe sex as being the norm, so introducing the idea into their conscience may help teens view contraception as second nature. While I’m sure abstinence is very much encouraged among middle school and high school teens, I am not naïve. I know what the numbers says and expecting abstinence is not realistic. Therefore, schools know this and feel obliged and advocates access to condoms at schools as part of comprehensive sex education programs to lessen cases of unwanted pregnancies.
And of course, we can’t forget the spread of STD’s, and if consistently used correctly, condoms can be highly effective in decreasing the possibility of STD transmission and preventing HIV transmission.
Whether parents like it or not, middle school and high school students are already having sex.
Now as mama bear talking, I don’t like the idea of schools being able to make that decision for us of those who are parents. This is something that I see as being a violation, taking away the due right to decide whether my own son should have access to contraception.
To begin with, there are several parents that don’t think that their teenager is emotionally or physically ready yet for sex. So, in my eyes, by schools introducing condom use to their teenager pressures both the parents and teens into having conversations about sex that may feel impulsive or too early.
This is a very personal subject and the school being involve interferes with my family values, I have certain ideas and belief about this subject and it is only up to me to decide when, how, and what my son is told, and by me only.
I as a parent would be the one who can provide the condoms to my son without having the school infringe on my family’s timelines of talking about sex and religious freedoms to my son. Even more so with a parent of a gay child can be more tricky, because as it is all middle schools and high schools currently lack knowledge about same sex, sex (this I know from personal experience).
I can also make an argument for those parents who are religious, for instance, the Catholic Church and other faiths oppose various forms of contraception.
Another thing is, condoms are not 100% effective, which gives a false of security to teens, when having sex. This is simply because the majority of teens lack the experience with condom application and use, in turn, resulting in condoms being extremely ineffective. And teenagers are especially not perfect, so typically, condoms may only be about 85% effective. In additional to that, the fact that vulnerable teenage girls still have less control over condom use.
And finally, my last argument is that the school will be sending mixed messages to their teenagers and legitimizing sexual activity. The same school administrators that teach students about abstinence, contradict themselves by also teaching about contraception. This will surely be sending mixed messages.
If school wants its teenagers not to have sex, then they shouldn’t be providing them with condoms to use during intercourse. Also, making condoms available to students in schools might send mistaken messages to their teenagers that their administrators and parents are expecting them (giving them the go ahead) to partake, in an already peer pressured environment, in sexual activity.
