HEALTH WATCH : Reality Vote

There are too few examples these days of true political courage. It’s tough for an elected official to stand up for what he or she believes is right if the belief antagonizes a significant number of voters. But the Los Angeles Board of Education provided an example of such courage this week when it voted to approve the distribution of condoms with parental consent on high school campuses.

Board members Jeff Horton, Roberta Weintraub, Mark Slavkin and Julie Korenstein provided the narrow 4-3 majority. They did so despite throngs of opposed parents, some of whom no doubt will remember the controversial vote come reelection time. Some objected to the condom distribution for moral reasons, fearing the availability of condoms would encourage teen-age sexual activity; others wondered aloud how a financially strapped district that is cutting its teacher ranks could afford to give away contraceptives.

On the first point, the board action merely acknowledges the reality that some teen-ager are sexually active. It’s not constructive to wish it were not so. Youths have long been confronted with sexual choices. Parents and educators must make sure students are fully informed about the choices they make.

On the second point, it’s certainly appropriate to ensure that money meant for textbooks, computers and the like not be diverted to the condom program. Because the distribution of condoms relates to AIDS prevention, Horton suggests that funds from other, non-education sources are likely to be available. That’s as it should be.