Oregon: An Oregon school district plans to offer condoms to students starting in sixth grade as part of an updated sex education policy aimed at decreasing teen pregnancy, sparking debate over whether 11-year-olds are too young for such a programme.

Starting early: The board decided to include middle school students as part of the programme because the middle and high schools are close in proximity. Representation Pic/Thinkstock

The plan by the rural Gervais School District comes after a 2013 survey by nursing students found that seven percent of district high school girls had experienced pregnancy and 42 percent of students reported “never” or “sometimes” using protection.