Should condoms be distributed in schools?

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/riekhavoc/2569245154/)

There has always been some type of controversy surrounding the issue of having condoms distributed in school. This article in the New York Times discusses different viewpoints of different school districts and what is going on regarding this issue. The article states that poor neighborhoods see the condoms as a salvation from AIDS and unwanted pregnancy, while more thriving neighborhoods see the condoms as a catalyst.

One side of the debate here is that the condom distribution goes against religious morals. Other parents say it goes against their attempts to persuade their children to postpone engaging in sexual activity. Others feel that the condoms will just encourage the students to go out and have sex earlier than they had planned to. The truth is, in my opinion, students are going to have sex when they feel they want to. Placing a condom in someone's hand does not make a student crazy and think, "Well hey, I have to use this right away, let me go have sex with the first person who shows an interest in me." I think having condoms readily available in high schools is a good idea. Many kids do not have money for condoms, or are afraid to purchase them. By having them available at school, at least these students will be protected against diseases and unwanted pregnancy.
The article states that about 80 percent of high school students are sexually active, and we should not close our eyes to the fact that this is happening. If the students are not handed condoms but find themselves in a sexual situation, they may engage in intercourse anyway. Wouldn't you rather equip them with the knowledge and "tools" for these situations? Or would you rather have them rely on rumors such as "You can never get pregnant the first time" or lies like "I swear I am a virgin." Parents may like to believe their children are not engaging in risky behavior, but the truth is, they are. I would rather protect and inform students than leave them in the dark and have something that could of been prevented happen.

Growing up Online

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilonap/2924307861/)


This is a video we watched in class done by Frontline about today's teenagers and their involvement with the internet. The video goes through several different teens and their scenerio's. One of them is a family who lives in a small suburban town. There are two daughters and a son. This mother seems very paranoid about the internet and sexual predators. I'm not saying parents should not be concerned with what their children are taking part in online, but I believe she was a bit overbearing. She put the computer in a place where her children couldn't have any privacy and asked for her children's passwords (even though she didn't get them) By emailing the parents of her sons friends about the youtube video depicting underage drinking, she basically lost the trust of her son. Even she admitted that it damaged the relationship they prevously had.
In class, there was alot of mixed reviews about the girl going by the name Autumn Edows. They claimed she was not really happy with who she was, and that is why she created a whole other life for herself online. I would have to disagree with that opinion. In school, she seemed different, "goth" perhaps. Her peers ridiculed her and make her feel bad about herself. When she was online, it was her expression of herself. It was how she wanted to be represented and people appreciated her image. I am happy her parents finally agreed to support her decisions.
Personally, I didn't think this video was informative to myself. It was entertaining and I was a little amazed to see how much these kids were into myspace and how their lives revolved around the net. I believe this video is meant a bit to scare parents into monitoring internet use closely. When you are in high school, I believe you are aware and smart enough to know which decision is going to be a risky one and which is going to keep you safe. Like all people, teens need their privacy too. The generation gap between teens and their parents doesn't help the situation at all either. Teens usually have a limit on when they can leave the house and for how long, especially on school nights. Aim and facebook allows kids to stay socially connected after school without leaving the house. Its just another way of "hanging out." That is what I think some parents fail to understand. Since it is something they did not grow up with or may not use for social networking, they probably don't understand most of what is being done is harmless.

Obama to move on abortion and birth control

This is an article from the website The Australian. It is an online newspaper.
The article states that President Obama will overturn a rule that allowed healthcare companies to deny birth control or abortions if it clashed with their morals.
This, to me, is ridiculous. It is not the job of a healthcare company to guide people morally. Each and every person has their own set of ideals and morals. If someone has an opinion different than yours, then you should respect it, even if you do not agree with it. Whether or not a woman chooses to go on birth control or have an abortion is the personal decision of the woman. There is no need for companies getting involved, trying to tell people how to live their lives.

Abstinence

The choice to abstain from sexual activity altogether or until marriage is called abstinence. If two people don't have sex, then sperm can't fertilize an egg and there's no possibility of a pregnancy. With abstinence, no barriers or pills are necessary because the person is not having sex. Many people believe this is a life choice, not a birth control method, but it is categorized as one. You do not need to be a virgin to practice abstinence. This is something you can choose to do any time, as long as you are happy and comfortable with your choice. There are many different reasons people choose to abstain. Some of these reasons may be to prevent pregnancy and STD's, waiting till they find the "right" partner, waiting until they are ready for a sexual relationship, focusing on school or career path, religious beliefs, medical reasons or to help heal after a bad breakup.
Abstinence is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy and STD's. It is the only flaw proof method. "Although many birth control methods can have high rates of success if used properly, they can fail occasionally. Practicing abstinence ensures that a girl won't become pregnant because there's no opportunity for sperm to fertilize an egg."
(http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/contraception/abstinence.html)
Like everything else, there are advantages and disadvantages to being abstinent.
They are:

• no medical or hormonal side effects
• free

The disadvantages include:

• People may find it difficult to abstain for long periods of time
• Women and men often end their abstinence without being prepared to protect themselves against pregnancy or infection

Abstinence is not for everyone, and for many people it can be a difficult choice. If you are tempted to stray from your abstinence pledge, it helps to stop and think why you chose that path in the first place. In the end, you need to do what is going to make you happy.

Female Condoms

One may ask why I chose this very method of birth control to write a whole blog post on. I guess I picked this medthod because 1. It is not mentioned often, and most people don't know about it and 2. I was curious to know more. Call me weird, call me whatever you will.
This condom has been available in Europe in 1992, and was approved in the U.S. by the FDA in 1993. This female condom carries various brand names in different countries including Reality, Femidom, Dominique, Femy, Myfemy, Protectiv’ and Care. The FC (female condom) is a polyurethane sheath or pouch about 17 cm in length. On each end there is a flexible ring. At the closed end of the sheath, the flexible ring is inserted into the vagina to hold the female condom in place. At the other open end of the sheath, the ring stays outside the vulva at the entrance to the vagina. This ring acts as a guide during penetration and it also stops the sheath bunching up inside the vagina. This condom does not contain spermicide.

In 2005, a new version of the condom was introduced, FC2. This has the same design as the original version but is made of nitrile, which may make it cheaper to produce. The FC2 began large-scale production in 2007.

The VA w.o.w. Condom Feminine (or VA for short) has been distributed as part of HIV prevention efforts in South Africa since 2004. It recently has become available in Brazil, Indonesia and through government clinics in Portugal. One more trial is needed before the
product can gain FDA approval for sale in the USA. The VA is made of latex.

There are advantages and disadvantages to using the FC.
The advantages are:

• Opportunity for women to share the responsibility for the condoms with their partners
• A woman may be able to use the female condom if her partner refuses to use the male condom
• The female condom will protect against most STDs and pregnancy if used correctly
• The FC female condom can be inserted up to 8 hours before intercourse so as not to interfere with the moment
• The FC female condoms are made of polyurethane and nitrile, which are less likely to cause an allergic reaction than latex. These materials can be used with oil-based as well as water-based lubricants. No special storage requirements are needed because polyurethane and nitrile are not affected by changes in temperature and dampness. In addition, these materials are thin and conduct heat well, so sensation is preserved.

The disadvantages are:

• The outer ring or frame is visible outside the vagina, which can make some women feel self-conscious
• The female condoms can make noises during intercourse
  
• Some women find the female condom hard to insert and to remove
• It has a higher failure rate in preventing pregnancy than non-barrier methods such as the pill
• It is relatively expensive and relatively limited in availability in some countries
• It is recommended that the female condom be used only once