07/06/09

Credit crunch, credit cards and condoms

Few companies are posting rising profits in these hard times. But hard times are what SSL, maker of Durex condoms and other good-sex products, like best. As more people stay at home use of sex toys, the warming Play O orgasm gloop and condoms have all risen, driving pre-tax profits up by almost a third in 2008/9. Now that the UK government has decided to give free condoms to teenaged boys, the market for other items in the Play range might swell even more.

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.

This post was published on 07/06/09 in Condomania, Good sex and bad.

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  1. Comment by Mark, 08/06/09, 12:22:

    Doctor Crippen, really? His blog looks interesting, but I’m really not sure that I would take too much advice from a chap with that name…

  2. Comment by Candy, 09/06/09, 10:11:

    i just had to forward this to nick!

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