In 1991 New York Public Schools started distributing condoms to their high school students. This was the first school system to attempt to do this. Since then many other high schools in twenty-one different states have picked up similar programs, but not without a fight (Vail 43). Some parents of high school students are strongly opposed to their kids being able to get condoms at their high school. But more and more high schools are following in New York's footsteps and making condoms available to their students. Although the programs being used to distribute condoms, like vending machines in bathrooms and asking for them from counselors, are not perfect, there must be some good coming from them if more high schools are picking them up.

There are many reasons that people oppose having condoms in high schools. One of the main problems is that parents believe making condoms so easily accessible promotes sexual activity amongst the students. An organization known as PACK (Parents Against Condoms for Kids), from the Seattle area, hands out pamphlets speaking out against condom availability in high schools. "Condom availability in high school infringes on parents' rights to teach th

In a survey taken in Seattle high schools, 90% of the students believe that condoms should continue to be available to them. "They [parents fighting for condom availability] realize some teenagers are having sex, so they're going to give us the option of prevention [...] it's kind of like not turning a blind eye," says one Seattle student (qtd. in Brown 338). But interestingly enough, many of the students are not happy with the way the schools are handling the distribution process and want to see changes made. As it stands now, condoms can be found in vending machines in the bathrooms and can be obtained by asking the school nurse for them in the Seattle schools. Students want to see the vending machines taken away; in fact, only 3% reported actually using them in the bathroom. Instead they want condoms in baskets inside each stall. They also would like to see more "posters, pamphlets, assemblies, etc." that shows the consequences of not using protection (qtd. in Brown 339)!

One Seattle parent bravely stood up to other angry parents in a school board meeting stating, "The decision to have sex isn't necessarily because condoms are available at the schools. It's personal values, it's what you have taught your children, it's all in who you are" (qtd. in Brown 338). In 1997 a survey was taken that supports this Seattle parent's statement. In New York High Schools where condoms are available, 7,119 students were surveyed. The same survey was given to 5,738 students in random Chicago high schools where condoms are not available. In New York, 59.7% reported being sexually active, while in Chicago a surprisingly

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Approximate Word count = 1096
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)