PEDIATRICS Vol. 102 No. 4 October 1998, pp. 1001-1002
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To the Editor.
This letter is in response to the article "Students'
Acquisition and Use of School Condoms in a High School Condom
Availability Program," published in the October 1997 issue of
Pediatrics. As the authors stated in their introduction, the
purpose of condom distribution is to prevent the spread of sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs) and reduce the number of pregnancies among
high school students. That is a noble and worthwhile task, but I'm not
sure how this study gave any information on the success of school
condom distribution and its impact on STDs and pregnancy. Yes, students
took condoms from the school; yes, some of them used them, but in order
to make an impact on STDs and pregnancy, students must use a condom
each and every time of sexual activity. The frequency of