Inevitably, the goodie-two-shoes family values mob worries that if boys can get condoms easily, they’ll be more likely to have sex. “Josephine Quintavalle, founder of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, a pressure group, warned: “We are just facilitating and encouraging sexuality without any deeper understanding of the emotional side of relationships” The Times reports. (I don’t know what Josephine’s experience is but I carry condoms all the time and I haven’t noticed that it makes it significantly easier to get laid. The few teenagers I drink with say the same.)

More realistically, some doctors worry that the credit card scheme that goes with the free condoms will put some teenagers off. While condoms will be handed out at football grounds and other places where young guys hang out, they’ll have to show a “condom credit card” to get them. The card shows that they’ve sat dutifully through safe sex training sessions. If they sit through extra “what to do about drippy dicks” sessions, they get stamps on their cards, coffee shop style. The government’s notion that boys will want to collect the stamps as a status symbol seems devised by someone who has little memory of being a teenage boy, and doesn’t even drink with them. As NHS doctor John Crippen says, we shouldn’t be putting any barriers at all in the way of young guys being responsible about contraception and STI prevention if and when they get lucky.

If you’re a teen who’s hoping free condoms will help you pleasure women more often, Durex Play’s here to give you pointers on what you’re aiming for. But to keep in line with Nanny’s guidelines on appropriate viewing, please make sure you only watch this ad after 11 pm.

Thanks to Peter Barnett for pointing me to Dr. John.

Thanks to David

One of the coolest things about publishing a book, it turns out, is that people start doing your thinking for you. Last week, I had an e-mail from Elbereth Wentzel, a South African living in the UK who picked up The Wisdom of Whores in Edinburgh airport. She wrote to ask: what is the UK doing about HIV prevention for the Soccer World Cup, which will be held in South Africa in two years time?

Bloody good question. We know footballers like to behave badly. We certainly know England fans like to get drunk, and some of them certainly also like to get laid. And we know that women in South Africa (especially those most likely to accomodate a drunken England fan) are among the most likely in the world to be infected with HIV. I know that condom makers Durex made a special “England supporter” limited edition condom for the last World Cup. But we should be thinking of working at the club level to make people aware of the need to protect themselves if they are going to play ball while at the World Cup.

I mentioned this yesterday to a colleague at Britain’s National AIDS Trust. They’re already thinking about the 2012 Olympics, which will be in London, but the World Cup isn’t on their radar screen, any more than it was on mine. So if there’s nothing going on out there in fanland, maybe it’s time to start. Any ideas?