From: dsh@odin.ece.ncsu.edu (Doug Holtsinger)
Newsgroups: tx.politics,alt.politics.clinton,alt.politics.bush
Subject: Re: Condom Discussion
Date: 26 Aug 92 23:59:17 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: North Carolina State University

In article <1992Aug26.222237.27913@bradley.bradley.edu> 
pwh@bradley.bradley.edu (Pete Hartman) writes:

> It is possible (even likely) that passing out condoms encourages sexual
> activity.  However, not passing out condoms does not prevent sexual activity,
> and I'm willing to bet that passing out condoms creates a net drop in
> the number sexual "problems" that are created by sexual activity.  Things
> like VD, Pregnancy, what have you.

Passing out condoms has resulted in an increased birth rate among
teenagers at a Colorado high school.  See the article below.

----
 
From: USA Today, May 19, 1992, reprinted without permission

Birth rate soars at Colorado school,
Parenting program is faulted

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- As at most high schools across the nation, being
a pregnant teen at Adams City High used to be a social death sentence.
 
That was before AIDS, safe sex and condoms became household words and
teen pregnancy came out of the closet. And it was before this progressive
school in a struggling industrial community became the first in the
state to adopt a controversial teen parenting program.

``Now people won't even look at you twice,'' says student Lisa Gomez,
17, who isn't a teen parent but has plenty of friends who are.

But people here are looking twice at the parenting program, which since
1979 has provided an in-school nursery for students' babies and a course
in parenting skills.

But three years since this high school became one of the nation's first
to hand out condoms, the birth rate has soared to 31% above the national
average of 58.1 births per 1,000 students.

Last year, 76 of Adams City students became teen mothers. This year, more
than 100 births are expected. That's left people at this school, recognized
throughout Colorado for its cutting-edge educational and social programs,
searching for explanations.

Some blame the presence of a parenting program and the ``acceptance''
of pregnancy. They argue the program's on-campus nursery, with cute
and cuddly babies, tempts vulnerable young women into having their
own children.

Others cite a deeper social malaise in communities like this one,
where low income, single-family households are the norm and half of
the 1,200 students get free or reduced price lunches.

As the core family deteriorates, they say, so does society's ability to
stay ahead of its troubling teen issues.

Whoever is right, Adams City is in a debate likely to spread as more
of the nation's schools tread the waters of social responsibility.

``Districts are finally taking a real look at this and see it as 
their responsibility'', says Debbi Main, who works on a statewide HIV
education program for Colorado University. Main predicts other districts
around the nation will suffer similar growing pains.

School leaders, sensitive to the reaction to their programs, say they're
just trying to keep kids in school.

``We can't educate them if they die of AIDS, and we can't educate them
if they stay home with children,'' says Principal C. Thomas Budde. About
half the 30 women enrolled in the parenting program will earn degrees.
And so far, AIDS has claimed no victims at Adams City high.

School officials have few explanations for the climbing pregnancy rate.
Publicly, they say condom distribution is strictly for disease prevention.
Privately, they hope it will lower the birth rate.

As for the parenting program, its goal was never to prevent pregnancy
bu to fulfill the school's role to educate. Critics say the school needs
to examine that role more closely to decide whether it's worth the cost.

``We're giving them (teens) a false sense of that society will be there
for them, and that doesn't exist in the real world,'' says parent
Virginia Todd, who advocates closing the school's nursery or at least
moving it off campus.

Student reaction is mixed. Some believe the program encourages students
to have babies for all the wrong reasons -- to keep a boyfriend or
gain attention. But others believe the program helps them deal with
sobering realities.

Among those is Stacey Gonzales, and ambitious 18-year old student and mother
of 5-month old Ruben Vasquez. In her case, the program allowed her to finish
school with a 3.5 grade average.

``If the program weren't there at least half the girls wouldn't graduate,''
she says.

Principal Budde says the school will maintain its commitment to the parenting
program, but he stresses that a community-wide effort at preventing teen
pregnancy is the real cure.

Parent and school employee Debbie Lapenna agrees. ``We need to have a more
open, more publicized discussion,'' she says. ``We need to stress to
families not to leave it all up to the high schools.''
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