A new policy approved by the Provincetown, Massachusetts school committee would, in theory, make condoms available to kindergarteners without their parents’ knowledge or consent.  Naturally, this has a lot of people in an uproar — mostly the sort of folks who are opposed to sex in general.  The policy is an “absolute push to promote sexual promiscuity,” according to Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, an organization apparently dedicated to stamping out anything fun.  “This is the theater of the absurd to hand condoms to first-graders who don’t even know what their purpose possibly could be, who can’t even spell sex,” he added.

A statement on the MFI’s website says that “making condoms available to first graders bullies parents to submit to an agenda that promotes sexual promiscuity to innocent children at their most vulnerable age.”  Because, clearly, the intent of the school district is to get those six-year-old hotties ready for action, right?  The truth of the matter, of course, is that the policy includes the elementary school because fifth graders go to elementary school and could very well be sexually active.

“I was the one who said, ‘Well, you never know,'” said Peter Grosso, school committee chairman and father of two.  “It’s very possible that a fifth- or sixth-grader would be getting involved in sexual activity.”  It’s sad truth, but kids are hooking up far younger than their parents would like.  And if kids are going to do it, it is far better to make sure they are protected than to say “I told you so!” when they end up pregnant.

Town Manager Sharon Lynn would have liked to see the policy require parental consent, but admitted that “it’s unrealistic to think that a parent saying no to condoms means the child’s going to say no to sex. They’re still going to have sex; they’re just not going to have a condom.”  That, of course, is the whole reason for the schools making condoms available.

As far as I’m concerned, I’d rather have a few tweens get condoms they’ll never use than to have some not have them when they need them.  My own kids will be able to get condoms at home, along with the admonition that when it comes to having sex, the choice is not with or without a condom but with or not at all.

Tags: abstinence, condoms, Education, massachusetts, protection, provincetown, schools, sex, sex ed

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