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Brazilian Children to have Condom Access in Schools

12:28 H | Topics: Brazil - Children - Sex

Brazilian school children soon may get more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. Yesterday the health minister of the South American nation vowed to place condom vending machines inside schools. A new study conducted by the United Nations body UNESCO indicated that most Brazilian parents are a-ok with the idea.

Brazil has already been proactive in HIV and AIDS prevention among young people for at least a decade including a globally recognized program offering free condoms and sex education.

To increase condom distribution, the ministry recently launched a contest for technical schools to design a better condom vending machine and will award $25,000 to the team of students with the best design.

Test machines could go into schools as early as 2008 and the health ministry eventually hopes to put them in bars, clubs and 24-hour gas stations as well.

While the Catholic church and its officials within Brazil are against the measure consider this stat:

The study found that 45 percent of students aged 13 to 19 already had an active sex life and that 60 to 70 percent had used condoms to protect against unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS.

About 10 percent said they had sex without using a condom because they could not afford one, while 42 percent said they simply did not have one handy.

Via / Yahoo! News

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