Free Condoms In Schools Could Lead To Higher Teen Birth Rates

The incidence of teen pregnancies have been reported at 10% higher in schools that offered free condoms to its students in a recently concluded study. Such is the case as shared in a University of Notre Dame research, which compared the results with other schools with students who weren't exposed to school condom programs.

Notre Dame researchers Daniel M. Hungerman and Kasey Buckles did a comparative study centered on the importance of sexual education in these schools with condom programs (and gave them for free) that few of these institutions provided adequate counseling, while other schools were unable to do so, OneNewsNow reported. The researchers also included slightly older teens residing in the local area.

Their results led the researchers to believe that teen girls who attended schools with condom programs revealed higher birth rates at 10 percent. This was also signified the trend with schools that gave out these condoms without proper guidance through instruction and advice.

Even the National Abstinence Education Association (now called Ascend) stated that the results of this new study was not much of a surprise. Valerie Huber, CEO and Ascend president said that when their organization (together with the Barna Group) did a study similar to that of the Notre Dame researchers, male students who were subjected to these school condom demos were under the impression that they were allowed to freely have sex.

Social science expert Dr. Michael J. New also stated in an interview that condom distribution programs in schools could actually increase teen birth rates at an estimated 10 percent. This just shows that the matter on condom programs as part of sex education in schools have somehow had disadvantageous results.

In a related Cosmopolitan post, although the school's intent to stress that condoms are 98% effective when used properly - it is also important that proper guidance should accompany its use with really clear instructions. Compared to the use of oral contraceptives, such as the pill, condoms still wins the effectiveness rate hands down. However, with a 10% statistic recorded out from these schools studied, it is a pretty alarming fact.