Apparently, Free Condoms Aren’t Enough

May 22, 2010 by blackgirlgrown
Filed under black women, health and wellness, hiv and aids

Reading this article made my blood boil. High school and college students in DC are complaining about the fit and quality of free condoms given out by the District of Columbia. And even worse, the District is going to comply and start using more expensive Trojan brand condoms.

The Washington Post reports:

High school students and college-age adults have been complaining to District officials that the free condoms the city has been offering are not of good enough quality and are too small and that getting them from school nurses is “just like asking grandma or auntie.”

So D.C. officials have decided to stock up on Trojan condoms, including the company’s super-size Magnum variety, and they have begun to authorize teachers or counselors, preferably male, to distribute condoms to students if the teachers complete a 30-minute online training course called “WrapMC” — for Master of Condoms.

A few things strike me:

HIV Prevention: The “free condoms” approach is specifically designed to curtail the high incidence of HIV infection in the District of Columbia. This isn’t about you getting that “natural ribbed” feeling during intercourse.
Free:I’m amazed at the gall of people to complain about free shit (yeah, I said it as much as I hate to curese in writing).
High school students:High school boys braggingly talking about how condoms aren’t big enough? Honey, your future life problems are too many to name in my short time here on this earth.
Missing the Point: Free condoms given out by the District of Columbia are part of some new government service to get you laid. It is about keeping you alive and not infecting others.
Name brand: To be clear, they weren’t giving out the multi-colored condoms health departments were giving out in the 1990s. D.C. was giving out Durex.
Government Bureaucrats: As troubling is the fact that D.C. government bureaucrats are giving in to this nonsense noting the “bling factor” of gold-wrapped Magnum condoms.

Color me confused. What next? Free lube oil?

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Tags: district of columbia, free condoms, hiv and aids

http://twitter.com/blackgirlgrown blackgirlgrown

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http://twitter.com/FirstLadySK FirstLadySK

RT @blackgirlgrown: just posted…: Apparently, Free Condoms Aren’t Enough http://bit.ly/btE0pN

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Pamela

I've been hearing about the quality of the “free” condoms for a while now, so I'm not surprised by this. All I can say is “whatever it takes” for the youth to “cover it up”, I'm for it!
http://www.blackgirlgrown.com blackgirlgrown

That did cross my mind…for a second. Yes, we want teens to have safe sex. But this sense of entitlement to have their particular kind of condom? And again, we're talking Durex, not the multi-colored sort anymore.
http://www.facebook.com/nic.mclean Nicole McLean

I feel you but I do feel the kids too. Granted, the reality that magnum condoms aren't any bigger than any other condom doesn't exist for most of the men who wear condoms. If the HIV rate wasn't so ridiculous around DC, I probably would be more annoyed at the sense of entitlement. But at this point, whatever it takes… we need to do to get people back on board with safe sex.
Pumpkin

Thanks for posting this. It's interesting to see that NYC DOHMH (Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene isn't the only health department that gets condom complaints.
Pumpkin

Thanks for posting this. It's interesting to see that NYC DOHMH (Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene isn't the only health department that gets condom complaints.