One state is now requiring that condoms be available to all students who are in middle or high school, and this may be something that more schools and states should offer. While it may not be the most comfortable subject to talk about, children need to be taught about intercourse and reproductive health when they get to an appropriate age. While schools do offer sex ed, some say that it is still not enough to truly inform youth about health, STI’s and pregnancy prevention. Preventing teenage pregnancies relies a lot on education and access to birth control.
According to Today, Vermont is now making sure that all middle and high school students have access to condoms, and some are thinking that this may be something that needs to be applied everywhere.
This new program will require all nurse’s offices in schools to distribute condoms to the students. The program was started in an attempt to prevent STIs and unwanted pregnancy. The condoms are being provided by Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.
This new law went into effect in July 2021, but they have now released their guidance on how the condoms will be distributed to the students. The guidelines can be read in full here, but in summary, it states that condoms should be made available to all students in locations that are safe and accessible. The guidelines state various spots in the school where students can go to get some, and they are set up so that it can be discreet and a student can feel safe and comfortable to go and retrieve a condom should they need it. While some schools already have programs in place, this is now law in Vermont, and it requires all schools to implement the program.
This can help parents with children in Vermont talk to their older child about intercourse and birth control, and they can let them know that they can go and get some from their school and no one needs to know. Experts are stating that they believe that this program will reduce the number of teenage pregnancies because it will increase the use of condoms since they are available. There have been studies done that show that condom availability in schools increases the odds that they will be used. That the fact at the end of the day is that if students want to experiment, then they are going to but this can help make them safe.