Sunday is Valentine’s Day, and lovers across the country are scurrying about buying jewelry, flowers, chocolates for their sweethearts.
But what about condoms?
While some might think a condom a crass gift, it could very well be the gift of life.
In the U.S., February is National Condom Month, which was established as a tool to help educate young adults about the serious risks involved with unprotected sex – including the risk of catching and spreading sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS – as well as helping to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
And if local statistics are any indicator, the earlier the education, the better. According to a September 2008 Daily Press report, one in 15 girls attending Tahlequah High School has either been pregnant, or already has one or more children. Several girls at Tahlequah Middle School have either had pregnancy scares or have become pregnant as early as age 13.
Rhonda Pruitt, school nurse at THS, said they work with youth on STD awareness and the prevention of pregnancy.
“I teach HIV and AIDS education, and Barbara Williams, from Cherokee Nation, teaches the sex ed classes,” said Pruitt. “We do stress abstinence, but we also know students sometimes aren’t going to wait, so we want to give them information to protect themselves against HIV/AIDs and pregnancy.”
Barbara Williams, representative for CN Behavioral Health, is probably known better among local students as “The Sex Lady.” Williams give sex education presentations in area schools and teaches youth how to avoid contracting STDs.
“The youngest groups I speak to are fourth-graders, and the topics include hygiene, puberty and development,” said Williams. “In high school, I do the ‘Date But Wait’ program, which stresses abstinence, but we cover birth control and things like that.”
In her presentations, Williams demonstrates how to properly apply a condom.
“I actually demonstrate with a real condom,” said Williams. “I have [a device] I use in some schools where they’ll permit it, and where they won’t, I just demonstrate using my fingers.”
Williams said most schools prevent her from distributing condoms, but the demand is there.
“I have been begged for condoms, and it’s hard for me to not give them out,” she said. “But I don’t have permission to do that. The only school where I can give out condoms is Sequoyah High School, and I always remind the students to dispose of them properly and to not use them as toys.”
Williams believes marketers have made condoms more attractive to youth, and said it could help prevent disease and pregnancy.
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