Safe Sex And Disturbing Condoms In Schools example essay topic

Condoms Should They be distributed? In the debate over teaching sex education in schools, Rush H. Limbaugh and Anna Quindlen both wrote an article on their views on this issue. Limbaugh feels that teaching sex education and passing out condoms in school will only encourage kids to engage in sex more often. But, on the other hand, Quindlen feels the opposite on this issue. She feels that teaching safe sex and passing out condoms to kids that engage in sexual activity is the best way to protect them from sexually transmitted diseases. Both writers have good points but Quindlen makes a stronger argument on this issue.

A passage in Rush H. Limbaugh book, The Way Things Ought to be, he argues that condoms should not be distributed in schools. Limbaugh states that "The logic and motivation behind this country's mad dash to distribute free condoms in our public schools is ridiculous and misguided". Limbaugh feels that the idea that, "kids are going to do it anyway, you can't stop them" is the wrong way to be thinking. He thinks distribution of condoms is a slippery slope leading to a scenario where we have disease- free hookers in the Safe Sex Centers. Limbaugh believes that distributing condoms in schools will only make kids want to have sex more. He claims that condom destitution will give a false assumption that condoms will protect from all STDs.

Limbaugh ends his passage by stating that "The worst part of all this is the lie that condoms really protect against AIDS", when the condom failure rate is 20 percent. In a column from the New York Times, appearing on January 8, 1994, Anna Quindlen gives her view on the condom distribution in schools in an article titled "A Pyrrhic Victory". Quindlen starts her article by giving a hypothetical example of a young boy who is having a hard time urinating due to the fact that he might have a sexually transmitted disease. By playing on emotion, she proclaims that condoms should be distributed to the kids due to that fact that they are going to have sex no matter who tells them not to. Quindeln gives a statement from a doctor in New York who has to clean up the mess when sexually active kids don't use condoms. She also gives examples of the "let me see if you are on the list" scenario which means when a child asks for a condom, the nurse must see if their parents have made it permissible.

The most alarming statement that she gives is from a doctor who advocates condom distribution. He reveals that in 1992, his three high school clinics saw over 150 cases of sexually transmitted diseases, along with other children who were hospitalized for these reasons. Quindeln finishes her article by saying that "The Board of education could do a great good if it found ways to truly foster parent-child communication in all things, not just matters sexually". She thinks that it is not only the schools job to teach children about safe sex, but the parents as well. Since the parents aren't talking to their children about safe sex, then condom distribution in schools is the best solution to this problem. Quindeln and Limbaugh both write very persuasive argument, but Quindeln seem to be a bit more realistic.

In today's society children are viewing sex on television, in movies, and hearing disc jockey on the radio glamorizing it making kids these days more curious then ever about sex. It would be nice if all parents had the courage to talk to their children about safe sex. But, the truth of the matter is not all parents can talk to their kids about this issue. Therefore, teaching safe sex and disturbing condoms in schools is a positive thing. Not only will it keep the percentage of STD down, but the percentage of teenage pregnancy will go down as well.