Sex In The Public Square - europe - Comments

"European" Men don't use condoms!

Slutty McWhore — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:29:22 -0700

As a Scottish woman living in the US, I was shocked at just how willing American men are to put on a condom. Back home in Scotland and elsewhere in Europe, I've always been the one who's had to suggest a condom (and lest I offend David by the blanket term "Europe", I should clarify that I'm referring to European men of many different countries). I don't know why this should be the case. Maybe Americans are just more paranoid about disease. Who knows?!

But, yes, I would say that we do still need ads like these in "Europe". They're fun and light-hearted, and bring sexual issues out into the open, which is where they always need to be.

i'm sure that pregnancy

tracya — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:30:54 -0700

i'm sure that pregnancy rates overall are falling in most european countries, however teen pregnacy is shockingly visible here in england.

and we have to remember that condoms not only prevent pregnancy but STI/STD's also!

Britain has the second highest teenage birth rate in the developed world, according to a new report from the United Nations.

The United States is the only country with a higher proportion of teenage mothers, with 52 per 1000 compared with 32/1000 in the United Kingdom. The lowest birth rates were found in Korea, Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Sweden, where less than 7 girls per 1000 gave birth.

i myself am shocked that in a country where every form of pregnancy prevention is freely available and accessible, young girls are still getting pregnant at very young ages

The debate on how best to tackle teenage pregnancy has arisen again as latest figures show the rate in under-16s in England and Wales has increased.

The government says it can do no more without the help of parents, while others are again calling for a broadening of sex and relationship education in schools.

Three sisters who gave birth at 12, 14 and 16 recently hit the headlines

and while we are on the subject....i just have to mention how uncomfortable i am with the british term of a woman "falling pregnant"

Every year, almost 50,000 girls under 18 fall pregnant, leading critics to claim that government-led efforts to encourage safer sex are backfiring. The number who conceive is at its highest level since a multi-million-pound teenage pregnancy crackdown almost a decade ago.

i happen to like the advert....(sorry elizabeth, i have made a pig's ear of this comment...HELP!)

Macro analysis and generalizations

Elizabeth — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:32:43 -0700

I apologize for the generalizations. I was posting on the fly an intending to do a bit of macro-level analysis which obviously didn't come through. Of course there is a great deal of variation across European natons, and for that matter within European nations, in terms of sexual behavior, attitudes and media. I don't mean to minimize that at all.

That said, there is little debate that low birth rates are a concern across the EU. Consider this BBC story from 2006 and the accompanying page of policy approaches to addressing the issue.

If you enjoy mucking around in data, try the Eurostat site and click on this page to find the list of fertility variables . You can make tables comparing different variables, different places and different times. It's a great tool! I had fun playing with it a bit tonight but had trouble with the downloads so I'm not posting any tables here. You can get an idea from the BBC story above and also by playing with the data yourself.

While initially I was trying to simply point out the difference between policy oriented toward increasing birth rates and policy oriented toward preventing STIs (something Lorna refers to below, as well), it is also interesting to consider the different feelings people might have about low birthrates (and by low I simply mean below the "replacement rate" of 2.1 children per woman). Discussion that issue raises related issues about gender equality, work and family policy, social welfare policy and immigration policy, all things we're concerned with here.

As for traveling through Europe, yes, I certainly would love to do more. I have only spent time in the Netherlands and in Belgium and so obviously I have much to see and experience. But no, I am not one of those who sees all Europeans or all European nations as the same. I understand that while the EU continues to work at integrating economic and political structures that nations retain separate identities and cultures and that within nations there is much variation as well.

Nothing to do with needing condom ads in Europe

Lorna — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:52:34 -0700

I like this ad, the scenario appeals to my sense of humor. I remember sharing it with friends recently.

Much as this ad entertains me, I believe there may be an on-going tendency to equate condoms with contraception rather than as a means of protecting one's health. The adolescent population with whom I work frequently consider condoms as their only means of contraception but neglect to use them on a regular basis. They "forget" the possibility of contracting an STI.

Despite school curriculum directed at educating teens on sexuality; STIs; pregnancy; self esteem, etc. many of the young women in my school approach the Youth Health Centre (YHC) for pregnancy tests. These young women have also taken advantage of the YHC's information sessions to inform themselves on STIs; their bodies; issues surrounding their sexuality (whatever curriculum is offered in the classroom obviously isn't catching their attention). I know many have consequently visited our city's sexual health clinic for alternative, perhaps more reliable means of birth control and then utilize our program's free condoms for protection against STIs.

I suspect there continues to be a general discomfort in our society about placing funny or controversial condom ads in magazines or on televsion with the ad's focus being health protection. Again, the participants in our YHC sessions became fairly "icked out" when offered information on oral sex and STI's, they obviously hadn't given much thought to this combination.

As far as a conflict between public health policy and population/family policy being in conflict, who knows? Government and policy development frequently seem to be at odds with what the population percieves as a need(s). Would this be significantly different?

I work within a system where information booklets on sexuality and sexual health must be given to students in a brown paper envelope and only after I recieve written permission from the parent/guardian, additionally, when I hand the envelope to the teen I must remind them not to open it on school property. It's no wonder kids and adults are all too often uncomfortable talking about sex.

overbroad generalisations

David — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:45:58 -0700

Europe, eh?

Couldn't you be more specific, e.g. Belgium? There's an important distinction that people around the world make about each other, and it has to do with nationality and culture, inclusive of countries and cultures across Europe. While all Belgians might be European (which is debatable), not all Europeans are Belgian. So it's surprising and disappointing to see that sweeping generalisation made by someone (apparently a woman from the USA, but perhaps just a generic Anglophone person, or worse, a typical american) who is usually very good at drawing finer distinctions between sexual personae in relation to power, gender and psychology.

Drawing a blanket over everyone in Europe on the basis of one condom producer's marketing tactic is almost as bad. As is suggesting that there's an ambivalence between promoting sexual health and population management. It is almost as though the author has some untested fantasies about people in other places. In which case an extended visit to several countries is in order. I hope you make it over soon. There are any number of people and institutions who would welcome an intelligent and open-minded visitor.