President Bush- Abstinence might not be workin’….

Abstinence all around..The Star Tribune!

Check out this interview about you guessed it…Abstinence..the Condom!

By Gail Rosenblum, Star Tribune

There’s nothing too surprising about a safe-sex campaign promoting abstinence. This time, though, the abstinence promoters are an unlikely bunch of left-leaning doctors, sexual health educators and marketers.

That’s because Abstinence, in this case, is the name of a new condom, manufactured and tested in accordance with Food and Drug Administration standards. The tagline: “Having sex or thinking about it? Choose Abstinence … the condom.”

Get it?

The lubricated latex condoms, targeting teens and young adults, are sold only via the Internet, “although we’d definitely like to see this in retail,” said Chicago-based marketer Peter Benkendorf, who developed the condom concept with a young filmmaker named Guy Clark, also of Illinois.

Debate - Abstinence VS. the Condom

In a recent article on Salon.com, the debate rages on! Join in the conversation.

Dr. Allan Brandt: “There’s always been this anxiety that if you put technology into the hands of people to promote sexual health you will also encourage what’s perceived to be illicit sexuality.”

In the first place, sexual activity goes on with or without encouragement. In the second place, saying that availability of condoms promotes sex is like saying the use of seat belts promotes driving. Either way, there will be accidents, but to not use either protection is foolishness.

Abstinence-Only Vs. Comprehensive Sex Ed

Although the controversy over sexuality education is being played out in a number of ways, the abstinence-only movement is clearly having the biggest impact. Abstinence-only programs are reportedly used in about 25% of the nation’s roughly 16,000 school districts. Among the most popular: “Sex Respect.” (See the related story on Sex Respect.)

Abstinence…the Lighter Side