Condoms for First Graders? Mass. Elementary School Under Fire

(istockphoto.com)

PROVINCETOWN, Mass. (CBS/AP) How young is too young?

That's the question a Massachusetts public school is facing as they have come under fire for making condoms available to all students, even those in elementary school.

Children start first grade between 5 and 7 years old.

Kris Mineau, president of the conservative Massachusetts Family Institute, calls the idea absurd.

But Provincetown School Board Chairman Peter Grosso defended the policy, saying there is no set age when sexual activity starts.

Under the policy, any student requesting a condom from a school nurse must first receive counseling, which includes information on abstinence. The policy does not require the school to contact parents.

The policy was approved by Provincetown's school committee June 10. It takes effect in the fall.

[Shelly-Stow]

I'm not even going to comment on the decision to do this. I am going to ask that this statement be printed and accompany every condom and, if the recipient is too young to read it, that someone read and explain it to him or her: "Warning: if you use this for its intended purpose and engage in sexual activity with another person, please be advised that there is an excellent chance that you and/or the other person, depending on who is older, who is younger, and how many years separate you, will be required to register as sex offenders, in some states for life, and that inclusion on this list for any reason is more often than not a life-destroying event. 'My school made me do it,' will not be accepted as an excuse by the court."

[lynnruth]

This is insanity! They (who ever is behind this) is now promoting sexual behavior of these kids. Then when the kid becomes an adolescent and is doing this kind of thing, the police arrest this guy-, the news media cannot mention the name of the underage male, the guy goes to court, and the DA wants to prosecute.The one who even began to promote such a thing should face criminal charges,and so should the person who contributes to the minor and encourages the act. If that includes the parent(s), then so be it. It's just plain sick.

[Hoppestown]

who in the hell has time to attend meetings? Idiotic comment to attend. But, in essence you are right. So that will put parent-against-parent on the issue. The issue should never have been brought up in the first place.

[[e-mail]]

What a story, and a good reason that parenting never ends, as one has to be vigilant to things like this. This article displays the logic of higher education and the desires for social engineering over comom sense. Mistaking a natural curousity that requires a bit of guidience for sexual activity.

Personaly, if I was in elementary school, I would have made good use of any condoms provided, considering any latex product or stretch material was denied me by my parents. My parents knew me all to well and I would welcome any gullable adult to provide condoms for me so I could weaponize them into a slingshot.

[Any_grownups_left]

While Lourdes and Fatima are famous, approved apparitions sites for Catholics (yes, I do have a point related to this article), there are many less-known but approved apparitions. One is from the 1600's when Mary appeared to a nun in Quito, Ecuador and said, speaking of the 20th century, "Innocence will almost no longer be found in children, nor modesty in women," and "There will be almost no virgin souls in the world... during these unfortunate times, evil will invade childhood innocence." We're there, folks. It is the intention of Planned Parenthood-types to lower our children's resistance to this kind of thing, so they can encourage promiscuity and provide the happy solutions of STD treatment - also at the age of 6 and 7 - and a little later, abortions. Spare me any statements that providing condoms will reduce the risk of STD's. They've been around a long time, folks, and more and more young adults are suffering from those diseases. Thanks, PP! And thanks, American taxpayer, for supporting them! Are there any adults left not stuck in perpetual adolescence? I know there are, and we better get involved, for the sake of our children.

[roses1sb]

I can not understand why any one would give condoms to a child? Are they kidding? This sounds like who ever is in charge, is not in charge upstairs! God help us all, what is going on in schools? Now I say Home School your kids, they are being brain washed and are learning what? Sex, Condoms to first graders????? Come on People is this a bad joke? Schools are trashed!

[BTRFLY23]

"Anything that prevents children from having children is fine by me!"
Really? So then this means that you would be alright with the temporary sterilization of your child to prevent children from having children? What if it wasn't a choice and someone told you it was mandatory to take birth control? Still the same view?

[beckw813]

This is almost as bad as government telling us what to do. In this case it's worse. The school has no business interfering in the lives of families and their children. I hope they get sued.

[barbaram99]

Lady, there is no way a 5 years old can have a baby..No way..Are ye talking about a Feb 29th year baby..Lady..I have met ladies at 35 that are grandmothers..Girls do not have a period at 5 years old..I was not born yesturday..
I was a foster child..I later met my birth mother..I went home on holiday years ago..My youngest sister was moody..She was 14 at the time..I asked Mother had Laurie had her first period yet..I was floored by mother's answer of I don't know..I was pissed..The girl had no items for when she should start it.. Mother went thru the change but that was no reason why there were no things for her..Mother did not talk to her children about the facts of life..I had to tell mother that Laurie will have her first period before I go back home..She did and so I gave her what I had,,Told to keep them..Anyway if parents can't talk about things with their kids of the changes in body then the kids will learn it else where..Be it school or their peers..I would rather it be taught in the home..Teachers at school need to teach the things they are trained to..When I was a student sexx ed was not taught in the gome and not at school..
If the bloody school is going to give out condoms with out parents prremission..Then people we all pay in to the school systems in the states we each live in..There has to be a way to tell them this is right..Children are minors..They have parnets that need to step up to the plate in this..They buy the items their children use..Be a parent..My mother wanted to be my friend and asked me that when I was 50. I told her this..I don't want ye as a friend yer my mother..Parents are not friends..I want a parent not a friend...That was what I told her..I am 55...

[Jolly_Jess]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lina_Medina

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the youngest mother in history was 5 years old when she had her first child. I remember learning about puberty in elementary school and sex ed throughout high school. I will admit that parents are a bit slacking these days about sex talks, but if my children ever went to a school that offered the opportunity to get condoms for a little bit of counseling that they can lie their way through then I would home school them. Not only does this allow parents to spend more time with their kids, but it takes them away from the temptation of premarital sex because they're not around other kids to discuss it.

[Amy06091988]

My daughter just turned 15 and had started just after she turned 13. She knew exactly what to do because we had talked about it but it was like that because back when I started in the 80's my mom hadn't talked to me I remember the day it happened and I had no idea what to say to my mom at all and I didn't want my child to feel that way. I was the 5th of 5 daughters with my mom and looking back now she should have been able to talk to me about those things but she didn't I am glad for our children now that some things like that are different

[Myopinion046]

One word: puberty.