home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
TIME - Man of the Year
/
CompactPublishing-TimeMagazine-TimeManOfTheYear-Win31MSDOS.iso
/
moy
/
121492
/
12149919.000
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1993-04-08
|
1KB
|
30 lines
THE WEEK, Page 23SOCIETYRadical Prophylaxis
Students to be offered surgical implants to avoid pregnancies
With one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the
nation, Baltimore already provides birth-control pills and
condoms to its public school students. But health officials have
decided that extra measures are needed. Starting in January,
school clinics will begin offering Norplant, a surgically
implanted contraceptive that lasts for five years.
About 500,000 women nationwide use the device, which
consists of six capsules inserted under the skin on a woman's
upper arm. Inserting the capsules is a simple medical
procedure, and they can later be removed to restore fertility.
Despite the new option, however, officials say they will
continue to recommend abstinence as the best way to avoid
pregnancy, and even students who receive the contraceptives will
be urged to use condoms to avoid AIDS and other sexually
transmitted diseases.