babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
DC Teens Reject Free Condom Offers
Teens today are pretty well-informed when it comes to protecting themselves from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. They know they should use a condom every time they have sex and they know why. So why aren’t Washington, D.C. teens taking advantage of the Department of Health’s school‐based free condom distribution program?
According to focus groups conducted by the Youth Sexual Health Project, one reason D.C. high schoolers are rejecting the free condoms is because they don’t like the brand of condom being offered.
The free condom program provides students with free Lifestyles and Durex brands, but the kids want Trojans. While they think Durex condoms are more likely to “pop or break,” they say they trust the Trojans because they “are of better quality and offer more protection.” In particular, they like the Trojan Magnums because they are perceived as being thicker and less likely to break.
Despite the fact that they don’t like the brands being offered, teens in the focus group said they think condoms should not be something they have to pay for out of their own pockets. They feel condoms are too expensive and this, they say, dissuades them from using them at all.
But while school-based free condom programs are still a controversial idea for many, the focus group participants would like to see it greatly expanded. They believe that the government should provide free condoms to everyone. In other words, they would like to see a government mandated sex protection program.
Image: sxc.hu
Go Back To Strollerderby
14 Comments
jenny tries too hard commented on Oct 23 09 at 12:31 pmD’oh! Entitlement mentality strikes again! These kids think they are entitled to sex without consequences, even the consequence of paying for “superior” Trojans.
And, somewhere, the advertising company Trojan contracts with is celebrating an obviously successful campaign….
TMC commented on Oct 23 09 at 12:48 pmThis whole article makes me want to gag. Not only the sense of entitlement that jenny mentioned but that there is a group of people out there that think the government should be responsible for seeing that we can all have safe sex. What happened to personal responsibility?
Bunny commented on Oct 23 09 at 1:56 pmThat’s right! Children who are too young to drive, smoke, drink, or serve in the military should pull themselves up by their bootstraps – if they want to not have babies that the state has to pay for, then by god, they should get a part-time job, or, if they’re too young, they should spare-change on the street.
Do you people ever think before you type? these are KIDS. It’s in the interest of all Americans to help teens not have babies.
Bec commented on Oct 23 09 at 2:10 pmLucky little bastards. My school used a really unpleasant brand (Hardcover). They smelled funny, broke easy and were more often available unlubed or with spermacides than any other way. Kids these days don’t know how good they got it… grumble grumble grumble.
jenny tries too hard commented on Oct 23 09 at 2:33 pmum, KIDS who are too young and irresponsible to do the things you mentioned shouldn’t be having sex. If you are too young to get a job (which is freaking 14 in many states) then, y’know, I do think it’s safe to say you shouldn’t be having sex, condom or otherwise. Maybe I’m the only one who thinks KIDS shouldn’t have sex, and people who can’t afford to purchase condoms and simply must have sex anyway should avail themselves of the free ones rather than go without. Just me.
ChiLaura commented on Oct 23 09 at 2:34 pmBunny, is it IN anyone’s interest that KIDS are having sex? Or is this just what we expect from our children these days?
Bec, that has to be a joke, right? “Hardcover” is hilarious!
Bec commented on Oct 23 09 at 2:39 pmjenny, whether or not they SHOULD be having sex isn’t the issue. Do you really think not having access to condoms will be the deciding factor in stopping them? I don’t, and that’s why I feel that they need access. They shouldn’t whine about the brand; they should be grateful that someone is providing them with free protection.
ChiLaura – actually no, I wish. It’s a terrible pun for a brand name, isn’t it?
jenny tries too hard commented on Oct 23 09 at 2:52 pmBec, they do have access, they are choosing not to use it, and they STILL think they are entitled to condoms they feel are better (possibly based on little more than advertising, but I don’t know for sure) at no cost. Condoms are not terribly expensive to start with, are not sold exclusively to adults, and require no prescription. I think it’s safe to say that DC, which has plenty of chain drugstores, is not exactly a low-access area for condoms. What you have here is people who feel entitled to a commodity and choosing to turn their noses up at the FREE version of the commodity, which they feel the gov. should pay for, AND refusing to dip into their own (possibly limited) pockets to pay for their prefered version. Anyone too young to take even this level of responsibility (taking the free, available-at-school condoms or buying them privately) is too young to be having sex. I don’t get what is controversial about expecting that bare-minimum level of responsibility from teenagers.
GP commented on Oct 23 09 at 3:03 pmDC gots lotsa problems…this is a great way that showz. Know whut I’m sayin’?
lp commented on Oct 23 09 at 3:30 pmSeriously???? F-ing idiots. Even if these teens feel(from their infinite experience) that a Durex is more likely to break (and thus result in fluid exchange), using NO condom GUARANTEES fluid exchange. I understand having a brand preference but this is just ridiculous. Can we just all chip in towards sterilizing them (and their parents) immediately?
Comstock commented on Oct 24 09 at 6:12 amAren’t Trojan Magnums larger than standard condoms? I wouldn’t be surprised if that is the silly reason these kids would rather use them, to feel more awesomely manly and well-endowed.
NotAMom commented on Oct 24 09 at 7:43 pmWhen I was a sexually active 16 year old back in the dark ages of 1987, I had a job at a drugstore where I could use my 20% employee discount for condoms, as well as lip gloss and Sun-In. Free condoms from the school? Yeah, a lot like school lunch. You’d do better on your own.
AmyB commented on Aug 16 11 at 9:03 amOne piece of advice I received when I was a teen that I still pass out: “If you aren’t mature enough to handle going to the drugstore or free clinic to get condoms, you’d better think twice about whether you’re mature enough to handle sex and it’s potential consequences.”
Noreen Ryan commented on Nov 01 11 at 1:05 pmAMYB-Exactly!!!
Add your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Wendy Michaels 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
14