“Are we good?”

“When she’s in the mood, better be good with frenzy condoms,” the dialogues taken from the Frenzy condom TV ad.

A variety of contraceptives like condoms are made available and popular in the world of sex market today.

Clean, pure, and virgin people get wild on these condom and family planning advertisements sprouted in the air. They wanted to save the public from worldliness especially the young ones who are said to be innocents. They also block the teaching of sex education in elementary and high school, and now these conservative groups are calling for a blanket ban on all condom commercials.

Hot or Not?

Frenzy and Trust condoms are being aired in radio and television nationwide today.

The Family Media Advocacy Foundation complained that the said advertisements encourage premarital sex among young individuals and promiscuity on the married males. They also noted that the ads show vulgarity which could actually set off the public to accept condom as part of the norm.

What’s with the ads by the way? In Frenzy ad, there are two models (male and female), more than 20’s of age. The ad is not that sexually arousing, the models themselves as well as their dialogues are not that sensual and green. This is just a matter of awaking us to the new liberated world so let us be open minded. The ad of Trust condom with Ms. Winnie Cordero interviewing a doctor is also objective enough in their manner of presenting the message.

To claim that the said ads are vulgar is a mindset leftover in the year of 60’s to 70’s. If they are asserting that the Frenzy ad uses teenage models that seem also to target teenage consumers then let us give our focus on changing the models and the comportment of the ad. They must propose their guidelines that they think are not foul in the public eye.

Their protest about its brunt to the premarital sex is an old issue. Ever since they are against contraceptives for they are always negative about it. They always see the hole of the doughnut and not the doughnut itself.

Conservative groups find condom advertisements as vulgar. In what sense that they find the ads vulgar? If they are referring to the message of the ad then their arguments are not against condom ads in general, but against the ads that ridicule their sensibilities. “There is only one common denominator in all condom commercials, whether they involve King Kong, lingerie, or a doctor giving an opinion,” said Patricia Evangelista of Philippine Daily Inquirer.”…it is that sexual activity must be accompanied by condom use,” Evangelista added.

It is not actually the ads that they find vulgar; it is the message that contraceptives are acceptable. Yes, they wanted to prevent premarital sex among young individuals. They have point of affirming that it can also elicit premarital sex, but is it enough rationale to call for a blanket ban on all condom ads?

Advertising and Free Choice

“This is not only a debate on advertising; it is a debate on free choice,” Evangelista said.

The conservatives have been shouting their stance that they are against contraceptives for they practice their freedom to choose, protected by the Philippine constitution. Then, they too must respect the choice of the others to use artificial contraception. “The state cannot and must not be compelled to deny its other citizens of the right to choose,” Evangelista said.

The problem in these conservative groups is that, they wanted to abolish the use of contraception even in family planning. Where is our freedom if their freedom steps over our own freedom? What do you think is the Philippine situation today if the government denied the public of information on family planning and as well as the teaching of sex education in public schools? We will remain isolated in the bottle of ignorance.

If the anti-condom lobby argues that advertisements encourage young people to have sex then, are they saying that if these ads will be banned, sexual activities among young people will diminish?

Statistics do show that as of 2002, 23 percent of young Filipinos, ages 15-24 (about 4 million) have had premarital sex. 80 percent of these sexually active youth said that they did not use any form of protection, and 75 percent of their most recent sexual experiences were unprotected. It appears that it is not the condom ads that influence the youth to have sex since they prefer more the natural process wherein they find the better sexual pleasure.

It is also alarming that a big number of people who are engaging in premarital sex do not use any protections which could possibly lead to an epidemic of any sexual diseases like what happened in Africa and India. This is not a form of tolerating the premarital sex but it is responding to what is in need. We could not right away force the people not to engage in premarital sex but what the science is trying to do now is to give them alternatives for safe sex so that they will be protected from any sexual diseases.

And in terms of its implication in the world of advertising, it is just a manner of informing the public that they too can be protected. Giving a situation that you have found out your one daughter engaged in premarital sex and who is now pregnant for she did not use condom, and another parent too found out his daughter did the same thing but not pregnant for she used protection, which is better? What’s the future of the pregnant girl? How about the other one who is not pregnant? Who would have a better chance to stand up again and build up a good future?

Let us recall the purpose of condom when it was invented. First is for protection against sexual diseases, second is for protection against unwanted pregnancy intended for a couple.

The naked realities

Conservative groups have been crying out their grievances about condom advertisements. They find the ads immoral but let us take a look about the “immoral thing.” They are calling for a blanket ban on all condom ads but what if I would suggest them to call also for a blanket ban on all TV commercials and programs that show sexual scenes, sexy ladies and gorgeous men, kissing scenes, and a lot more related on sex? One of the most influential themes in media today is sex, even in advertisements like the TV ad of White Castle with Roxane Guinoo wearing her red two-piece. Condom ad is just one of them.

Let us be fair! Wanting to ban the condom ads? Then ban all the TV ads and programs showing sexy things. Ban the Wowowee and Eat Bulaga for they show lady-dancers wrapped in scraps of neon jersey. Ban all the telenovelas showing bed scenes of John Lloyd and Bea, Sam and Anne if you think that they too promote premarital sex. If not, then let us ban the production of TV sets, radios, and news papers in the Philippines so that there will be no media at all. Conservative groups talk as if these things are not ordinary in the context of modern Filipino culture. This is a new generation, by the way.

Their idea asserts that Filipinos are not capable of making decisions. Patricia Evangelista stated in her article in Philippine daily Inquirer that, “if they persist in believing, they define Filipino culture and assume that the individual cannot make independent judgments.”

According to the United Nations Joint Program on HIV/AIDS and the World Health Organization, condoms are “the best defense” in preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

“If people insist on having sex, a 2-percent danger is better than a hundred percent,” Evangelista said. “…If that ‘thing’ can prevent the spread of AIDS and other diseases, how come AIDS cases are increasing? The answer, I hazard, it’s because ‘that thing’ is not being used—what with the removal of subsidies, a lack of access to contraceptives, and a strong conservative lobby against sex education?” Evangelista further added.

The conservative groups are trying to deprive the public of their only source of information on the use of contraceptives and the right to make responsible choices as Evangelista stated.

Are we good?

Criticisms to the others’ ideologies are just indications of being socially aware. Saying yes for all the time is just an indication of idiosyncrasy. Let us be critical enough before believing in one’s own idea. Your idea about the issue on banning the condom advertisement may be different from my own. Sometimes, in order to create a challenge for the other people we tend to deviate or stand in contrary to what they believe. We challenge them in order to know how strong they are in standing for their own ideas. This is just a matter of testing your social awareness. Are you a condom user? Do you engage in premarital sex? Then what is your view about the existing issue concerning condom ads? Let us not isolate our thoughts within ourselves. Be bold. Be naked.