Sex, Condoms in Schools

Eleven-year-olds shouldn't be having sex.

A middle school in Maine is handing out condoms. Middle school children are as young as 11 years old. Is it just me, or is 11 just a tad shy of an appropriate age for intercourse? I don't think I had even made it to second base by then. In fact, I don't even think most 11-year-old girls had a second base.

According to an op-ed in the New York Times Republicans in Congress are attempting to add $28M to the State Children's Health Insurance bill that was vetoed by the president. The money goes specifically to teaching abstinence. The editorial states that studies show that abstinence doesn't work, and abstinence programs teach false information.

Clearly, if kids are getting bad information, that issue needs to be addressed.

But the fundamental point remains: Isn't handing out condoms encouraging 11-year-old kids to have sex?

In the Maine article, a supporter of the handing-out-condoms program states that society can't rely on parents to protect their children. So, does that mean its now the State of Maine's job to make decisions on the behalf of parents? And, even assuming Maine has the ability to make the "right" decision to protects kids (although I'm unsure how one could determine that), under what rationale is handing out condoms the best decision?

The government should not be the forum for imposing personal values, but aren't there some lines we don't want to cross?

Malcolm Friedberg is the author of Why We'll Win, a set of books that explain the law behind hot-button social issues to laypeople.

Comments

[Alice A.N.]

I am almost completely certain that no one was giving any eleven year old condoms. Nowhere does it imply that the school handed out condoms to the younger students at all. The conclusion they did - is soooo Michelle Malkin.

Middle school does include students aged 13 to 15. As much as we like to pretend otherwise they most definitely do need them.

[Desiderata]

Let this old liberal have a go at this.

Schools are where we send our kids to learn to read, to write; add, multiply and subtract. History, World Cultures, Civics belong there.

Do they really make condomes that can fit an eleven-year-old? If so, they should be distributed by parents, family planning clinics, drugstores or restroom dispensers, not schools.

What craziness this is. Are the schools going to supply birth control pills to our daughters?

Many school forbid kids from touching, hugging and kissing in the halls, but then insist on sticking their noses into their most personal off school grounds behavior.

Shame on all of you who find such flimsy excuses to justify what is none of their business. Those of you with children, it is your business__so get on with it. Do your own parenting.

[LeftRight]

And the question that I have that was not answered in the post is: Are they handing out condoms, or are they making them available? Because I know of several 7th graders who are having sex (my son tells me, and I think that he's telling the truth). I would rather that they at least have them available, if they need to use them.

As you pointed out, 11 year old's should not be having sex, but some of them are. And those who are need to have protection made available to them.

[malcolmfriedberg]

Sean-thanks for the comment, but I think you miss the point. Your argument seems to be --- kids are having sex, so we might as well give them condoms, because if we don't we are just denying the reality of the situation.

The problem I have with that position is why are we (society) willing to be OK with the fact that 11 year olds have sex? Under that logic, we should buy them beer as well. And, no, the State of Maine should absolutely NOT be making that decision, these kids' parents should. I would bet you'd have a different opinion about the State's role if you didn't agree with their decision.

[blueraven]

I disagree with the cost inflicted on taxpayers by the very existence of 12-year-old mothers. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[Dandy12]

Perhaps some sex ed might be in line in middle school and at some point perhaps safety devices should be available. My 13 and 14 year old girls are on pretty tight leashes. Knowing what is going on is fine. They know that they're not ready for the other stuff yet. When I was in school, yes there were active 13 & 14 year old girls, and "yes" there should be some available no questions asked protection available.

[CriminallySane]

"But the fundamental point remains: Isn't handing out condoms encouraging 11-year-old kids to have sex?"

It is rather recognition of the likelihood of some of them doing it anyway, and urging those that will to take appropriate steps to prevent early pregnancy and STD transmission. Would you doom 11-year old girls to carrying children they are obviously too young to bear - physically, in this case - rather than prevent such pregnancies if they do, against all our better wishes, become sexually active?

Or are you really more interested in punitive forced childbearing?

[SeanGardner]

"Eleven-year-olds shouldn't be having sex."

But they are.

I think 11 years old is too young too, but when you look at our sex-crazed, sex-charged culture, its not hard to see why kids at that age are having sex.

This should not be about what you think is right, This should be about what the State of Maine thinks is right. I agree that it may seem a bit disconcerting, but the State is stepping in to protect its teenage population.

Who cares what you did as a teen ("I don't think I had even made it to second base by then."), because the realities are, teens right now are engaging in risky sexual bevavior.

For instance, most teens right now don't even think oral sex is sex. This is amazing, considering you can get gonnorhea, syphlis, herpes and othere diseases through oral sex. A now legendary episode of the show "ER" had a 17 year patient who came in complaining of a sore throat. It came out that she was diagnosed with "gonorrhea of the throat".

And I'm sure you know that in these United States of America, in the richest suburbs to the pooerest rural areas and inner-cities, our young people are having "ORAL SEX PARTIES". This is not supposition or conjecture. But fact.

So why would you write this: "In fact, I don't even think most 11-year-old girls had a second base."

Open your eyes. Get the facts.