Earlier this week, Provincetown, Mass., School District Superintendent Beth Singer sent a letter to parents to clarify a controversial policy allowing students of all ages to request no-cost condoms from school nurses, the Boston Globe reports.

"As I listened to the media's interpretation of our policy, it became clear that it is vulnerable to being misunderstood," Singer wrote. She added, "It was never directed to elementary students. We never would have issued condoms to elementary-aged children, nor did we expect them to even know about this." The district will revise the policy, she said (Nicas, Boston Globe, 7/1).

The original policy would have required students to listen to a brief lecture on safer sex before receiving condoms. In recent days, school officials were forced to re-examine the policy after criticism from Gov. Deval Patrick (D) and others about the program's lack of age restrictions. At the time, officials said the revised policy likely would be limited to students in fifth grade and above (Women's Health Policy Report, 6/29).

Singer said Wednesday that because the policy specifically is directed at sexually active students, it is impossible to set an age limit. The revisions to the policy will be up to the School Committee, she added (Boston Globe, 7/1).

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