Kondoms for Kids?

[The Pecman]

I saw this, and immediately knew this was a story with which outrageous American DJ Howard Stern will have a field day. You just can't make this stuff up...

Extra small condoms for 12 year-old boys go on sale in Switzerland

By Alexandra Williams in Geneva

published: 8:13PM GMT 03 Mar 2010

Called the Hotshot, the condom has been produced after government research showed 12 to14-year-olds did not use sufficient protection when having sex.

The study, conducted on behalf of the Federal Commission for Children and Youth, interviewed 1,480 people aged 10 to 20.

It showed more 12 to 14-year-olds were having sex, in comparison with the 1990s.

The Hotshot condoms, which cost 7fr60 (?4.70) for a packet of six, have been created by Lamprecht AG, a leading condom manufacturer in Switzerland.

The company has said the UK would be "top priority" if they expanded abroad, considering that it has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.

Nysse Norballe, a spokesman for the company, said: "At the moment we are only producing the Hotshot in Switzerland. But the UK is certainly a very attractive market since there is a very high rate of underage conception. The UK would definitely be top priority if we marketed abroad."

A standard condom has a diameter of 2ins (5.2cm) in comparison with the Hotshot's diameter of 1.7ins (4.5cm). Both are the same length – 7.4ins (19cm).

According to a German study of 12,970 13 to 20-year-olds, a quarter said a standard condom was too large.

Family planning groups and the Swiss Aids Federation campaigned to have the Hotshot produced after a number of studies, including the government study researched at the Centre for Development and Personality Psychology at Basel University.

Nancy Bodmer, who headed the research, said: "The result that shocked us concerned young boys who display apparently risky behaviour. They have more of a tendency not to protect themselves. They do not have a very developed sexual knowledge. They do not understand the consequences of what they are doing and leave the young girls to take care of the consequences.

"The results of this study suggest that early prevention makes sense."

The age of consent in Switzerland is 16, although if the age difference is not more than three years there will be no punishment. Other concessions exist if the older person is not more than 20 or believed the younger person to be at least 16.

The Swiss initiative comes as the UK government announces an overhaul of its teenage pregnancy strategy after new figures showed conception rate among 18s were not falling fast enough.

The UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe.

In 1999, the government pledged to halve the teenage conception rate within 10 years. But data released last week from The Office for National Statistics shows it has clearly failed to make any significant impact.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthne...witzerland.html

[DesDownunder]

How civilised the Swiss are. Age of consent at 16 with provisions for the sliding age bracket to 20. Now they have condoms to fit all. Should be written into the Declaration of Human Rights, in my opinion.

I wonder if these new condoms have a place in the lives of the older generation who suffer shrinkage as they approach their twilight years? (Present company excepted of course. They don't call us AwesomeDudes for no good reason, do they?)

[Cole Parker]

I wonder if these new condoms have a place in the lives of the older generation who suffer shrinkage as they approach their twilight years? Present company excepted of course.

Really, Des, I know you feel very comfortable here, but it is a forum that is open to the public; you must be aware of that. Telling everyone your shrinkage occurred well before your declining years is very bold, even for you. Perhaps you're thinking of it as a public service announcement, but the public doesn't really need to know this, does it? Also, sharing it across so many continents! Do Laplanders or Tibetan monks really need to know of your early-on diminution?

C

[The Pecman]

And I hasten to add that I could wear a regular condom at 12 with no problem. (No brag, just fact.)*

______________

* my friends were very impressed.

[colinian]

You can always wear a condom that's too large. Always. You might not be able to actually use it for its intended purpose, however. If anyone is confused by my proclamation, just think about the low-rider jeans kids are wearing these days.

Colin

[Cole Parker]

I could wear a regular condom at 12 with no problem. (No brag, just fact.)*

______________

* my friends were very impressed.

Gee, it sure sounds like bragging!

I have no idea whether I could have worn one at that age. I doubt I knew what one was. We were much more naive back then. At least I was.

But I'm pretty sure, knowing what I know now, the thing would have fallen off, no matter how enthusiastic I was.

I'd have had to call Pecman to come over and demonstrate how it was supposed to fit.

C

[Tanuki Racoon]

I'd have had to call Pecman to come over and demonstrate how it was supposed to fit.

Blind leading the blind.

[The Pecman]

I have no idea whether I could have worn one at that age. I doubt I knew what one was. We were much more naive back then.

This was 1966, Cole! What can I say... I read a lot, though the reality was, I thought I knew a lot more than I actually knew. :-)

I didn't get an opportunity to actually use one with somebody else for many years afterwards, though. The shocker here is that these kids are actually using them now, which is kinda scary. Sex was never that casual to me.

[Tanuki Racoon]

the reality was, I thought I knew a lot more than I actually knew. :-)

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

*** RUNS ***

:hehe:

[Cole Parker]

The coon is in rare form.

Comes from too much rest, I think.

C