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Sex ed students rewarded with free condoms

Who doesn’t love free stuff? Complimentary condoms are now being provided for Daly City high school students for the small price of attending a sex education class.

Jefferson Union High School District board members recently approved the Condom Availability Program in an attempt to combat the rising number of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies among students.

After taking a course on proper condom usage and speaking with a counselor, students can request condoms from the Daly City Youth Health Center.

The program was approved based on the success of a pilot program launched at Thornton High School in 2009. Jefferson Union Superintendent Thomas Minshew told the SF Examiner:

“Pregnancies and STDs are down. The kids are coming in and receiving condoms. It works.”

The school district is not paying for the condoms, and the program’s efficiency will rely on condom donations to the youth health center.

Officials hope to have condoms available by April 1, and estimate they’ll need at least 30,000 condoms for the next school year.

Kim Gillette, director of the Daly City Youth Health Center, said it’s false to believe access to condoms lead to enhanced promiscuity. Gillette told the SF Examiner:

“Providing condoms doesn’t increase sexual activity. Health education is around safer sex; you can’t just teach abstinence, only education.”

Similar programs have been successful in San Francisco, Contra Costa counties and across the nation.

Last modified March 10, 2013 7:26 pm

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