There Aint No Such Thing As A Free Condom

You know you've seen them somewhere. At my dorm today, I don't have to go past the lobby to see free condoms pushed towards me, offering me the chance to live out my sexual fantasies without consequence.

And yet that's the thing. There is nothing in this world that doesn't have consequences attached. Yet the promise of a free condom is that you are somehow exempted from them. The problem is- you aren't.

Now we all know that there are many inefficient programs out there are budgeted more than single program to prevent unwanted pregnancies, which, by some accounts, could be higher were the program not instituted.

But just think about that for a second. If you don't want to be pregnant and you're willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you only have a child when you are fully ready to support it, if this program were not in place, you might just reconsider whether you want to actually hook up with that questionable guy or girl.

However, according to the way condoms are promoted, there are no longer any consequences. When you go to the health center, you see a ton of pamphlets about the dangers of STDs, and then next to that they have a big bowl of condoms. The message is quite clear- if you want to have sex but don't want to worry about potential diseases, just get a condom.

The truth is, condoms are the best form of HIV protection if you are going to have sex, but they are no panacea. Actually, condoms are quite spotty when it comes to a number of STDs. But that's not highly publicized fact. HIV is the key disease prevented, but when it comes to everything else, there just isn't much evidence out there.

But don't take it from me, the CDC says specifically:

Quote:

The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from sexual intercourse, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and you know is uninfected.

Now I know what everyone is thinking. For some people, that might not be an option. Some people just can't control themselves- their hormones are out of control, they shouldn't have to be responsible for what their bodies are doing.

First of all, if my body wants to eat the food on the shelf in a store and doesn't want to wait and pay for it, does that mean that I can just eat it right there? What if I can't pay for it at the time, or I'm not ready to pay for it? My body's needs do not supersede my obligations of responsibility here, nor should they in any other situation.

Secondly, I am in this position now. I have all the opportunity and desire, but from personal experience, I know that I am in control of my body. And I firmly believe that anyone who so chooses can control themselves as well. If they legitimately cannot control their bodies, they should get some help for that. Otherwise, they shouldn't have any less obligation than I do.

Now here's the kicker. If you decide that none of that matters, you are still being told that you shouldn't have to worry about being responsible for your own behavior. Not only that, but everyone around you is being told the same thing- that they should not have to worry about the consequences much less their personal behavior because they don't have to be responsible.

What does that mean? The only logical reply is that there will be more irresponsible behavior. If consequences don't matter, there is no reason for doing the right thing, except because it's the right thing, and that seems to be quite overrated these days. When responsibility doesn't matter, very little else does. At that point, you can imagine what happens.

If promiscuous premarital sex doesn't have any consequences, there's no reason not to do it. Logically, more people will do it because there are no consequences. However, the level of consequence from using a condom is infinitely higher than abstinence.

And even if you rule that out as an option, you still have to see that because the overall number of people having promiscuous sex increases as perceived consequences drop, over time the overall level of protection that condoms provide will drop past the level of unprotected sex that would be happening without the condoms as a viable protection. This is because more people will be engaged in more risky behavior than if there was no perceived safety.

Of course, it's an easy jump from cause to effect- lack of responsibility affects all areas of life, and end up affecting everyone who comes in contact with irresponsible behavior. Even here, if you limit lack of responsibility to only reproductive responsibility and pledge not to let it affect your choices, you are still inevitably affected by the choices of the people around you- your family, friends, associates who can all be hurt by someone's lack of responsibility.

Now this isn't a blog to "promote change", to get people to "contact their local representatives!" or even to "create hatred". This is an opportunity to sit down and think about everything you've been told, something that not many people have any time for these days. So the next time you see a bowl of "FREE CONDOMS!" just think to yourself- How much do they really cost? Like it or not, we may all be paying the price.