Condom Distribution is NOT a Substitution for Education

Who woulda thought?

Well, this clearly wasn't thought out in the 1990s when a few high schools began distributing free condoms to students as a way to curb teen pregnancy. However well-intended this program was, a new study shows that there was a 10% increase in births, mainly in schools that offered condoms without any sort of counseling or helpful instructions on how to use condoms.

Many adults find difficulties in using condoms correctly AND consistently; what hope do high school students have then in doing it safely?? Passing out condoms, while it can be helpful in lowering stigma around having sex and raising awareness of the consequences of unprotected sex, it doesn't make people use them. And it doesn't guarantee that people who use them are doing it correctly.

We have to just admit that education is the key that unlocks the prevention message into action. We have to pressure our legislators to help get accurate sex education into schools so that students not only know what condoms are, but they know how to use them, feel comfortable using them, know where to get them, and also how to get additional protection like hormonal and other forms of non-hormonal contraception.

We can do better.