Speakers at Forum Debate Condoms in City Schools

At a health forum on March 16, Rochester's school board solicited community feedback in response to a January presentation about sexual activity and HIV cases among area young people.

Of 78 HIV diagnoses reported in Monroe County last year, 35 were in people younger than 25, the board heard during the January presentation. Of teens reporting sexual intercourse, 61 percent used a condom during the last encounter, said Dr. Andrew Doniger, the county health director.

"Another way of looking at that is 39 percent didn't," Doniger said. "That's risky for that 39 percent."

"I know we have a serious issue in our community with [STDs], HIV and AIDS," said Cynthia Elliott, chair of the Community and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, which hosted the forum. "Something has to be done. Is it the school district necessarily? I don't know."

"We really want to hear what the community is saying," said Jose Cruz, chair of the Policy Development and Review Committee. "Will we please everyone? No. But we'll address their concerns and make the best decision possible."

Qualified outside agencies should be allowed to teach about sexuality, and sexually active students should have access to condoms, said Sheila Driscoll, director of Metro Council for Teen Potential.

Parents struggle with how to discuss sex, and the spiritual and emotional aspects of it are often neglected, said the Rev. George Nicholas, pastor of Grace United Methodist Church. "Instead of saying 'Just don't do it,' we need to be open to having a conversation," he said.

Many teens said their peers would continue to have sex in any case, and that making condoms available at schools would give them a trusted place to go. But retired doctor Barbara Fredericks said condoms deny the necessity of self-control, while others said condoms give teens a false sense of safety.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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