The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is giving out a million free condoms, and the recipients are between the ages of 11 and 19 years old! You may be asking yourself, why are they handing out condoms to children and where are their parents?
Well, according to the latest statistics from the PDOH, Philadelphia has the highest rate of sexually active teens younger than 13 years old.
The website home page of the Take Control Philly campaign asks the question, “Having sex? Protect yourself from chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis. Get free condoms!”
The site tells 11 to 19 year olds where they can find free condoms near their homes. It also has a mail order free condom offer along with videos such as the one below that teaches the youngsters how to wear condoms.
So the big question is, should condoms should be available to 11 year olds? Or should we teach our children that abstinence is the best choice at their age?
Clearly health officials are trying to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. If these children are going to have sex, they have the RIGHT to know how to protect themselves. But some believe that handing out free condoms just do more damage to the situation, promoting a message to teens that it’s cool to have sex, as long as it’s protected.
It’s rather disturbing to think that 11 year olds can stop by their nearest health center, pick up some free condoms, and then go have sex in a school yard or public bathroom. Why not just teach these children to value their bodies and avoid taking the risk in the first place?
What do you think?
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