Norplant Program Is Dangerous to Youths

I am writing in reference to Dr. Michael Gottlieb’s article titled “Education the Cure, Not the Disease” (Op-Ed, April 25).

Education is the cure, but the education our teens are getting today is dangerous and encourages unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions. The addition of the Norplant program at San Fernando High School is dangerous to the health of our teens.

Dr. Gottlieb makes the statement, “At this time it is unrealistic to expect any method of birth control including condoms to be both maximally protective against unwanted pregnancies and STDs.” At least he appears to admit that condoms are not the best method of avoiding pregnancy and STDs. With a 15% failure rate, condoms are definitely a poor method of birth control and an equally poor method of providing protection against STDs. So why do we call this safe sex? At best, condoms are only better than nothing.

With the government, schools and even parents pushing condoms on our teens, together with the glorification of indiscriminate sex being portrayed on television, in the movies and music, teens today are under intense pressure to have indiscriminate sex. Our youth need to be educated to the fact that this is all nonsense! There is one way, and only one way, that is 100% effective in stopping pregnancy and STDs. It is not having sex outside of marriage!

In spite of the current push for condom use, teens are not using them enough to prevent a rapid increase in unwanted pregnancies and STDs. The use of Norplant implants will only encourage more unprotected sex because the threat of pregnancy is automatically reduced. It makes it more convenient to have sex without protection against STDs. This can only increase the spread of STDs.

I fully agree with Dr. Gottlieb’s concluding sentence, “It is a tragedy to see young people living with doubts about their future because of diseases they could have avoided.” Norplants will do nothing but increase this tragedy. Let’s wake up and start teaching our youth, our own children, to say no to sex outside of marriage.

DAVID E. MILLER

Granada Hills