BUFFALO, N.Y. -- According to a 2013 survey, 44 percent of high schoolers in Buffalo Public Schools are sexually active, and 35 percent do not not use a condom. The district is hoping a new condom availability program and additional sex-ed curriculum will change those statistics.
"Now we're responding to the survey and we're saying, here's the risk factor, what are we going to do as a district to help our children in order for them to be academically successful to stay in school," said Director of Health Related Services Assunta Ventresca.
On Wednesday night, the Buffalo Board of Education approved a program that will make condoms available to students grades 9-12, who have successfully completed required sex-ed class, at the nurse's office.
Board of Education members say it's just one part of a comprehensive approach to improving the health of the school community.
"It's a component but if you really look at sexual education it's not just about sex, it's about relationship building, about how to treat other people, how to say no, how to build skills. It's a very skills based curriculum," said Ventresca.
The district wants to discourage unplanned pregnancies and reduce STDs, but also want parents to have a say in the program.
"Parents can opt out of this. If they don't want their child to receive condoms in school, they can opt out. In fact, they can opt out of the health curriculum also that is the sexual health component," said Ventresca.
The condom availability program will be in place by Jan. 2016, and the Director of Health Services say parents will start receiving opt-out letters by August.