Condoms in city high schools
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia School District by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Kristen Graham.
Condoms in city high schools
Kristen Graham
Condoms have been distributed at some Philadelphia School District high schools for years. But, as I wrote in a story just before the holidays, they're now available in more schools as a result of a partnership between the city and the district. (Parents can sign forms opting their students out of the free condom program, though it appears that staff won't be checking to make sure that students' parents are OK with their obtaining condoms.)
City officials say that this is part of a strategy to combat both high sexually transmitted disease rates among teens and an alarming rise of HIV infection among teens, as well.
But there's been some confusion about exactly which schools are getting the condom dispensers, which will be installed outside nurse's offices in the selected schools. The district had initially released a list of schools getting the dispensers that included some schools not actually getting them; that list was released in error, officials said. (The schools on the original list that do not actually have high STD rates and are not getting dispensers include Girls High, the four Kensington High schools, Sayre, Strawberry Mansion and George Washington high schools.)
The schools were selected either because they had an existing "Health Resource Center" - places that have existed inside a dozen city high schools for years, which provide students with sexual education and are affiliated with a community-based health organization - or because they have high STD rates and are considered top priorities for STD prevention.
So, here are the 11 high schools that had the dispensers installed over the winter break.
Bartram - HRC, high STD prevention priority
Ben Franklin - HRC
Dobbins - HRC, high STD prevention priority
Edison - HRC, high STD prevention priority
Fels - High STD prevention priority
Frankford - High STD prevention priority
High School of the Future - High STD prevention priority
King - HRC, high STD prevention priority
Roxborough - HRC
South Philadelphia - HRC, high STD prevention priority
West Philadelphia - HRC, high STD prevention priority
A twelfth high school, Bok, will have a dispenser installed over the next few weeks because of its high STD rate, officials said.
Other schools that have health resource centers (and so already distribute condoms) but aren't getting the dispensers, according to the district: Central, Germantown, Northeast, Overbrook, Strawberry Mansion, University City.
There's been lots of interest in this story, which was first reported in The Inquirer. Other local media, plus national and even international news organizations, have reported on the city's and district's condom plans, too.
instead of encouraging condoms, they should be encouraging kids to stop at 3rd base.— Zero- Yeah good luck with that one. We were all kids. Theres no stopping desire. Im not crazy about seeing this but how else do we decrease teenage pregnancies? — hipdaddy
I was born and raised in the projects. I bought my OWN damn rubbers. It AIN'T the publics responsibility to pay for YOUR rubber!— The Monk- @The Monk, I totally agree with you. But, kids will be kids AND with so many inner city kids, resulting pregnancies end up being paid for by our taxes. We are not going to keep them from fooling around. — PotteryPete
- Kristen, With the great education the philly schools provide the Kids of the city, it is amazing that the high school population would even have time to think about sex. With all those advanced placement courses in chemistry and Calculus it seems the kids have more things to focus on than their afternoon sex tryst. Oh excuse me I was thinking about the private suburban schools. THe philly kids are just interested in the score of last nights basketball game or the current price of the corner SMACK. These will be the things that get them into the job market after highschool or when they meet their buddies at the local McD's to show them their workplace. What a wonderful City. Num Nut Nutter and the Philly school board are doing such a good job of educatin the kids and the parents are right there behind them voting for the Idiots in the city Adm who are stealing all of their taxmoney. What a terrible situation and the kids don't even know that they are being cheated of a true education that they need and their children will need in the upcoming world. Kobi won't educate them he will just keep laughing at them from the basketball court where he keep counting all of his money. Long live their hero AI......— rduexpress
- Private schools provide a much lower quality of education and opportunity than do public schools. That has always been, and is still true today, in spite of it's current state in Philadelphia. Public schools, in general, in this country, and specifically in this state are under attack from greedy politicians who stand to make a killing while filling their pockets with charter school money. You do a great disservice to the 95% of Americans who went to a public school when you bash our institutions this way. Our schools are given ever fewer resources while increasing pressure is put on the students, teachers and administration to perform. The powers that be have done everything in their power to make public education less appealing. what they wont tell you is that when you take the word, "public" out of education, you lose your rights to do anything about its condition. So you don't want condoms in school? Fine. Once the big corporations take over, you'll have to complain to someone in India about it because nobody who runs these schools will care what you think.
- OUR tax dollars at work.— The Monk
- if no one is in charge of watching the condom machine, who is going to make sure that the students whose parents opted out aren't taking condoms? Why would you install a condom dispenser in a school that is being shuttered? Aren't there better ways to use that money other than installation and stocking it? Seems to be very wasteful for a district that spent 2.1BILLION dollars in less than 4 months and then had to borrow another 300MILLION to get through the rest of the school year. Lucky for unions and education BO was re-elected and continue to filter our hard earned tax dollars into baseless, useless (given the number of teens having babies)ideas?— dontlikedems
- and when the first condom filled with water comes flying over the 3rd floor railing and someone slips and falls, the district will then be sued. When the condoms are being thrown all over the floors and someone slips and falls, the district will be sued. Good to see common sense is abound in the district. Obviously they aren't going to be used for proper protection! Can't wait for the first law suit!— dontlikedems
- Will anyone make an attempt (even just a symbolic one) to make sure that these condoms are used only for partners who are both above the age of consent? While they're at it, how soon until they start giving out rolling papers and needles?— J H
- I don't want my kid getting no condoms. Condoms will just encourage him to have sex. I also took the seat belts out of the car. Those seat belts were just encouraging him to drive fast.— AreaMan
- Post all the jibes against those upset about this you want, the fact is, when controversial decisions are made benefiting a liberal perspective, we're all supposed to get on board and support it. If someone on a so-called conservative perspective does something that affronts liberals, even if they didn't mean to, it's war. If you're going to provide something like this, you have an obligation to ask the people funding the schools. People are always clamoring for more local control of things or demanding their vote speak for them; well this is no different.— 19151
- Hookers from Kensington are sneaking into the schools and stealing the condoms--especially the flavored ones.— orange rhino
During the school year, you’ll frequently find her hosting live chats about the district on Philly.com. Please do pass along the scoop about what’s going on at your Philadelphia public school; Kristen welcomes tips, story ideas and witty banter at kgraham@phillynews.com or 215-854-5146.
You can also follow Kristen on Twitter here.
