Making condoms available in schools. The evidence is not conclusive.

Abstract

This article deals with three main controversial approaches in reducing rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy among North American teenagers: abstinence-only programs safer sex education and making condoms available in schools. The American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Scientific Affairs concluded recently that there are no published studies that measure behavioral effects of the abstinence-only curricula that evaluations of safer-sex sexuality education show inconsistent but promising results and that programs to make condoms available in school “usually demonstrate increased condom use.” The author of this article however disputes the AMA’s findings. He contends that there is a strong indication that some abstinence-only program may delay sex and that some safer sex programs do reduce unprotected sex. He also notes that the evidence showing condom availability leads to greater condom use is not consistent. He attributes the different conclusions to differences in the research methods in communities schools and student needs or other factors.