Are they serious about this? http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,587980,00.html?test=latestnews "A leading condom manufacturer in Switzerland has created extra-small condoms for boys as young as 12 years old, the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph reported. The condom, called the Hotshot, was produced after family planning groups and the Swiss AIDS Federation campaigned to have the condoms made following several studies that showed adolescent boys were not using proper protection when engaging in intercourse. "The result that shocked us concerned young boys who display apparently risky behavior,” Nancy Bodmer, who headed the research, told the newspaper. “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.” Bodmer said the results of the study suggest that early prevention makes sense. A spokeswoman for the company, Lamprecht AG, said the United Kingdom would be a “top priority” if they expanded abroad, especially since the U.K. has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in Europe. A standard condom has a diameter of 2 inches; the Hotshot's is 1.7 inches." Focus: This borders on socio-political discussion, but what do you think about this? I don't even think I had pubes when I was 12. They should sell these things with a fake mustache and a bag of press-on pubies.
That's a toughie. On the one hand I am wondering, "What the fuck? I don't think I even knew what a condom was at 12!" And on the other hand, they invented this oddity in response to statistics. So there ARE 12 year old boys knocking girls up and getting STDs. It's bizarre, and I'm not sure I know any men who were even interested in girls at 12, but if the problem actually exists, we might as well welcome a solution.
Pffft. In my day, when we had sex in middle school, we just wrapped a Snickers wrapper around it and went to town. Then we'd watch Garfield and Friends and eat PB&J sammiches.
While I'm pretty sure I was still pre-pubescent at 12 (I mean, I didn't exactly keep detailed records of this sort of thing)....I actually like this decision. Look, they wouldn't be making the condoms if there wasn't a market. They aren't stupid. So this means that SOME kids are clearly having sex at 12 (which gives me a mixture of "That's fucked up" and "Tip o' the hat to you, kid" feelings). I don't think the production of condoms is likely to have a significant correlation with the amount of sex being had. So that said....I think everyone is better off here. Well, except the 12 year old's after their parents find the box.
Three things... 1. They have to do this in India as well. Apparently they have higher condom failure rates because of increased slippage/breakage with smaller wangs. Of course, the problem is that not many people are actually going to buy smaller and more appropriate sized condoms. Insecure teenagers least of all. 2. I guarantee you this "12 years old" is just a number on the low range of the scale. The condom is not built for 12 year olds. It's built for, say, "12-18 year olds", and everyone's running with the scandalous number. 3. Someone pity the 12 year old Swiss girls. And on the topic of condoms that were too skinny, I once tried a box of those super-expensive polyurethane condoms that are supposedly super-thin. It was narrower than a normal latex condom. Couldn't get those fuckers on; it hurt to try. What a waste.
Am I the only one to see the potential prank in this? If I find any of these condoms in a store, I am buying them and replacing any normal condoms I find in my buddy's house with the "Hotshot" variety. Too bad these things weren't around when I lived with 3 other guys. The hilarity would be endless.
Consider that my 11 year old nephew is sporting more of a mustache than I had before 18, and tells me there are girls on his bus route that regularly perform BJs on the way to and from school, this doesn't shock me. Might as well make condoms the right size, apparently they'll get used...
I live in Switzerland and I think it's a bloody great idea. You won't stop even very young adolescents from having sex, so why not offer them protection? Also, I will steal downndirty's idea. Fucking great. If you give me a postal address, I can send you some. This is hilarious.
When I saw this story somewhere else someone brought up the possibility that they might just be for dudes with small peckers. How insinuating that a someone is hung like a pre-teen is better than just admitting that they just have a tiny dick is beyond me.
I think it's kinda ridiculous that kids that age are thinking of getting laid. When I was 12, I was just thinking how to avoid handing in incomplete homework and detention. When I saw this thread, this was the first thing I thought of:
I like the assumption that the 12 year old boys are banging the 12 year old girls. I only mention this because girls are hitting puberty younger and younger all the time (or so it seems), so maybe the 12 year old boys are banging the 10 year old girls. I wonder, would that still count as robbing the craddle even if the kids are both pre-teens?
During my clinical at the STD clinic, we had a 12 year old boy who came in with Gonorrhea. And it wasn't his first visit to the STD clinic. There is a notification programs to the partners of people with STDs, and he had 4 partners. He wasn't even one of those well-developed 12 year olds, he looked fucking 12. I felt all creepy old ladyish for even having to ask him to drop his pants and having to handle his penis. And his dad was the one who brought him in (because you know, 12 year olds can't drive) and we tried to get across to him that this is very irresponsible behavior that could have horrible consequences and pretty much all we got back was attitude laced with pride. So, hell yeah, make condoms for 12 years old. Then put them in cereal boxes and cracker jacks instead of the usual toy.
Fuck, now I'm trying to remember where I read that article about getting an STD being a "rite of passage." for young kids. Damnit I'll find it.
Are they seriously trying to suggest that kids as young as 12 are engaging in "risky behavior" because they can't find condoms that fit? This quote directly contradicts that: "The result that shocked us concerned young boys who display apparently risky behavior,” Nancy Bodmer, who headed the research, told the newspaper. “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” (article). It seems a better sexual education system or more involved parents would be a lot more beneficial than a fucking mini condom. Half the kids that would need one of these aren't going to buy one anyway. And the name, Hotshot? Are they serious? They might as well call it "The Purple Ranger".
This. While there may be a market for these, kids aren't going to buy them anyway. More education is needed as I doubt these kids even have a proper concept of STDs and pregnancy. We have a decent amount of teen pregnancies near where I live, and it may be just a generalisation but it seems a lot of the kids having kids were themselves born to very young mothers. Don't they make small 'tight fit' condoms anyway that would serve this purpose? Maybe they should just switch the marketing approach and sell them in kinder surprises and happy meals. Oh, and I couldn't help but think of this:
Yeah, but that doe-eyed hunk there wasn't actually the father. That red-headed she-beast on the right was sleeping around. Argument invalidated. On the topic of kids and knowledge about sex, there was a study done some time ago where a majority of middle school aged students thought there was a vaccine available for HIV. Shit like that is a pretty serious failure of the system.
Yeah I know, the father was a 15 year old instead. Not much better in my opinion. This whole debacle just means Alfie, real father and the rest of the school were all pounding the beast bareback.
This entire thread and subject makes me not want to have kids. Honestly, I have nothing more to add. I'm gonna go get a vasectomy now.