The topic of condom distribution in public schools has caused many heated debates throughout the country. People in favor of distribution of condoms will ensure that teenagers practice safe sex and that the rate of STDs and pregnancies will decline. Opponents of distribution of condoms state that distribution will encourage sexual activity and put the idea that premarital sex is acceptable. A quote from the National Coalition to Support Sexuality Education, "More than half of American teenagers have had sexual intercourse and face significant sexual health risks. Each year, over one million teenagers become pregnant, one in seven teenagers contract an STD, and one in five hundred students on college campuses are infected with HIV." So with these facts in mind, is there a need for condom distribution programs?

Yes, there is a need for condom distribution programs. The support that has come from authority figures such as parents and educators is falling apart because of the introduction to condom distribution programs. It is as though parents and schools have forgotten that some teenagers do not desire to be sexually active, but one has to wonder how

many teenagers are having sex in today's society. In a recent small survey taken at the University of Wyoming, the numbers show that of the 36 students who took the survey, 24 agreed that most teens in high school are sexually active, only 10 disagreed, and 2 were unsure. We do not minimize the need to educate teenagers about safe sex and the risk of STD's, for we are all fully aware of how sexually active teens are today. The latest statistic I read on this subject claims, "Most teenagers (75% to 86%) have their first sexual intercourse between the ages of 15-20 (Kelley 10)." The solution is not a simple one; it is going to require more thought and energy than deciding whether or not to keep a basket of condoms in the nurse's office, but having the basket is one way of getting started with condom distribution programs.

Although providing condoms to students will help curb unsafe sex in the future, condom distribution must be coupled with effective education in junior and senior high schools. Using a condom during sexual intercourse is the best way to prevent against STDs such as the HIV virus. This support comes from multiple studies including one taken at the University of Wyoming that showed 78% of the students agree that condoms do protect against STDs, 19% disagree, and 3% of the students are not sure. Without proper knowledge of how to use a condom, its effectiveness drops dramatically. Students should learn about safe sex and protecting themselves from informative sources, their schools, and not from haphazard street rumors.

Adults are always stressing abstinence. Of course abstinence is the best form of birth control and the best way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases, but it is not very realistic to teens in today's world (Fort 1). So, isn't receiving condoms at the nurse's office a step toward stopping teen pregnancy and STDs, especially the HIV virus (Fort 1)? Of course, but people against condom distribution believe that it is promoting sex and saying that it is okay to have sex. And for those of us who agree with condom distribution programs say it is a way of protecting our teens from pregnancies and STDs. If t

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