Giving Compass' Take:

• In this story from Global Citizen, author Leah Rodriguez discusses a recent report from the Guardian which suggests that handing out condoms in schools reduces sexually transmitted disease infections and does not encourage students to have sex more or at a younger age.

• How could public health and disease prevention advocates use the information in this report to convince those who may not otherwise be comfortable with handing out condoms in schools?

• To learn more about why STD issues receive little funding globally, click here.

School condom programs don’t encourage teens to have more sex, but they do reduce sexually transmitted diseases, the Guardian reports.

A new review published by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) shows when teens have access to condoms, they use them, which improves sexual health. Experts believe making condoms more accessible in schools could be the key to combating deadly sexually transmitted diseases and high pregnancy rates.

School condom programs don’t prompt students to have sex at an earlier age either, UNFPA says. Teenagers with access to condoms at school actually reported having fewer sexual partners.

The review measured sexual activity, number of sexual partners, and age of sexual initiation to determine if condoms promoted promiscuity. There was no correlation between school condom programs and sexual activity, number of sexual partners, or age of sexual initiation.

The organization reviewed 29 articles from seven countries with experts at Harvard and Yale. Many of the studies researchers reviewed were conducted in wealthy countries where HIV and teen pregnancy rates were already low, or where students had access to other forms of birth control.

Read the full article about handing out condoms at schools by Leah Rodriguez at Global Citizen