Err... Excuse Me?
Missing the point?
Click on the image to go to Geneffects website to see the original post.
I'm aware that this is not a real Planned Parenthood ad, but it has set off some reactions in me that I'd like to work through. Aside from the one you just thought of, thank you very much. I'm also aware that this is a delicate (ahem, focus) subject, so I'll put on my asbestos suit. Flame away in the comments or via email if I've offended you or you think I'm full of shit. I'll try to explain myself better and listen to your arguments.
This one bothers me a little. I mean, yes, unplanned parenthood is a bad thing (altho I would not have my wonderful daughter to cherish if my ex-wife had been more careful), but there's AIDS to worry about to.
I grew up in the AIDS generation, and we were religious about condom use, if you'll pardon my French. Speaking of which, in the French gay community, in particular, people have stopped protecting themselves, soit-disant because you can now "live with AIDS". Sure, popping dozens of pills a day and feeling, I understand, rather shitty in the process.
This is very disturbing to me. I try to understand it, but I can't. I'm just scared witless by that disease.
On the other hand, I suppose you don't want to fall into the other extreme and condemn this ages-old anticonception measure on the basis that you should use a condom in the first place. That would be uncomfortably like the Catholic church denouncing the condom because you shouldn't "sin" in the first place. I've know enough catholic girls who had recourse to abortion because they thought condoms were bad, so didn't have any, but couldn't say no when the occasion to celebrate 'vive la différence' presented itself. Surely abortion is a bigger sin than condoms in the church's book, no?
So avoiding abortion or a teen-birth or an unwanted child or, as the ad suggests, just the pain of childbirth are worthy goals, and it would be bad to not reach them for want of recourse to anal sex in the absence of a condom.
I'd suggest oral sex as a replacement, but that defeats the whole joke/argument of the ad about the pain, and I'm also not entirely sure oral sex is entirely safe anyway. I used to think so, but have heard information to the contrary lately. Anyone know better?
Location : Beauvais, France.
Devined by Mathieu at 2/22/2005 01:42:00 PM
5 Insights :
North Woods Guys said...
The answer to "aids" is common sense. Gay men (and others) need to be involved in a "monogamous" single partner relationships - rather than flitting from person to person.
Aids can be stopped - people just need to be responsible.
Hi NWGs! I agree monogamous relationships are the safer and more responsible ones, but we need to recognize that they are not the be all and end all of sex. I'm very worried about people with wilder lives ceasing to protect themselves out of despondency or a mistaken belief that you can "live with AIDS".
Kate, the smart catholic girls were never afraid of condoms, or the pill when they could get it. The dumb ones, or misinformed one, or unlucky ones, ended up pregnat years before their degrees and with men they didn't necessarily want to raise kids with... It just seemed like such a waste. And the onus was on their parents, not the pope.
I've heard rumors (don't honestly know how true it is) that this is in common practice among American teen girls who feel it's important to remain a "virgin" in the most technical sense of the word.
I believe that the answer to abortion and birth control and all those issues lay in the society. In norweigen (sp) societies, (my half sister is Swedish and I was a women's studies minor at the university) a healthy wonderful ideal of sex is taught, along with respect for your body. They don't bombard you w/ messages about sexuality and then tell you it's wrong and sinful. Instead, women and men are taught to love and respect their bodies and they make responsible choices, instead of out of fear of acceptance or want of love. Where birth control and abortion is free, they have the highest rates for age of virginity and the lowest rates of abortion (their highest rates being among post menopausal women who thought they couldn't get pregnant). Of course that would be a long haul to get to in america where sex is all over the place, and no body self esteem or respect is taught and women are treated often as having sex and their body as their own value, while there is this mixed message about sex is so 'wrong and sinful'. I do believe everyone should have birth control and abortion access though, just to be clear.
About hiv, I'm sad to hear that is the mindset of people, how sad to not care more about yourself or others more than that. Also, I have worked w/ teen girls who contracted genital warts in their throat, along w/ other stds from oral sex. They need to always look at that shaft for sure, no bumps or lesions, ugh!
Wendy, that sounds like an ex-president's distinction between sex and oral foreplay. Not that I'd necessarily complain.
Julie, that last bit sounds like a nasty ailment :(
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