We’re Teaching About Condoms All Wrong: How Sex Educators Reinforce Negative Attitudes and Misinformation About Condoms and How to Change That

Abstract

For decades, sexuality educators have fought to include condom lessons in sexuality education programs. Condoms have been promoted for good reason: they work to prevent pregnancy and remain the only form of contraception that also offers protection against STIs. While most sex educators agree that sexual health programs must include conversations about condoms, our current lessons, which remain rooted in early HIV-prevention efforts, actually perpetuate negative attitudes about condoms—including suggestions that they are difficult to use and an assumption that people dislike condoms. This article explains issues with current condom lessons and suggests a more positive approach.

Keywords:

• Condoms
• sexual health
• sexuality education
• educational strategies
• new frameworks

Disclosure statement

Both authors were members of Trojan’s Sexual Health Advisory Council and have served as paid consultants and advisors to Church and Dwight, the manufacturer of Trojan brand condoms, since 2005. The opinions in this article, however, are their own and they have received no compensation or input from the company.

Notes

1 This statistic comes from page 334 of the 18th edition of Contraceptive Technology. It was not included in subsequent editions but personal communication between the authors and Lee Warner, the author of the Contraceptive Technology’s chapter on condoms, tell us it’s still accurate.