DR. WALLACE: I'm 16, and I have been dating my boyfriend for over a year. We are a great couple. He treats me with respect, and I care for him very much. My best friend and I have been "sister" close for the past seven years. We share everything that happens in our lives with each other. I honestly think that my boyfriend is jealous of my best friend and she is jealous of him. Anyway, they seem to despise each other, and each competes for more of my time and attention. When I am with one of them, I literally can't talk about the other one. If the time comes, I don't know which one I would choose over the other. I truly feel caught in the middle of the two of them. What should I do? — In the Middle, Cumberland, Maryland

IN THE MIDDLE: Why worry about something that might never happen? When you are with your boyfriend, enjoy the moment, and enjoy your time together as typical boyfriends and girlfriends do. Then do the same when you're with your best girlfriend. It's not important that they dislike each other.

Yes, it would be better for you if they both got along with each other, but a great deal of that is out of your control. What is in your control is to be good, loyal and friendly to each of them. Always speak well of one of them in front of the other. They both care for you very much. You can also reassure each of them that they are important to you and that you will always have time for them.

NOT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DR. WALLACE: I am on a high school student council, and the council is considering asking the school administration to distribute free condoms to those who would want that. We think that this would cut down on the number of unwed mothers and would help teens avoid sexually transmitted diseases. A local organization wants to provide the condoms to our school for free. The only negative we foresee is that some of our council members think free condoms might promote more sexual activity. Do you think that free condoms would promote an increase in sexual activity or an implied acceptance of premarital teen sex? Do you, as a former high school administrator, feel that free condoms handed out at school will encourage students to consider starting sexual relationships that they might not otherwise? — Student Council Member, Chicago

STUDENT COUNCIL MEMBER: Distributing free condoms at school will not necessarily promote sexual activities for those who chose abstinence, but it could influence teens who have not given proactive thought to the benefits of abstinence during the teen years. But the public school system should not be in the condom dispensing business. That duty should rest with the public and private health clinics.

The public schools should focus their attention on doing their most valuable work in the classroom and providing a high quality education.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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