That's not a balloon!

[Andy]

Condoms for 12-year-olds hit shelves
Swiss make extra small condoms for boys
By QMI AGENCY
Condoms for 12-year-olds hit shelves - Weird News - Canoe.ca


A company in Switzerland is cashing in on the country's high rate of youth sex by making extra-small condoms.

A Federal Commission for Children and Youth, which surveyed 1,480 people aged 10 to 20, found that more 12- to 14-year-olds are having sex now than in the '90s, and that many don't use protection.

Meanwhile, in a German survey of 12,970 13- to 20-year-olds, a quarter of respondents said a standard condom is too large.

That's where the Hotshot comes in. While a standard condom is 5.2 centimetres in diameter, the Hotshot is 4.5 cm. The length is the standard 19 cm.

Switzerland's age of consent is 16, but if the age difference isn't more than three years, there will be no punishment.

Manufacturer Lamprecht AG is producing the condoms.

"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,? company spokesman Nysse Norballe told the UK Telegraph.

The mini-condoms will be sold over the counter, online, and distributed to young people via sex educationalists.



I suppose this is a good thing but it's all kinds of wrong too. Twelve. Sheeesh
Witty remark goes here but slightly inappropriate so I left it out. lol

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Wow. On the one hand, getting pregnant that young would be a really bad idea. On the other hand, as STP says above, age 12?

I guess one has to wonder what message is conveyed to that age group by targetting them for marketing birth control...

 

[Andy]

I wonder how many 12 year old fathers there are out there that made this a big enough issue to have the need for these condoms. Is this a quick fix or encouraging 12 year olds to be sexually active.
Hopefully they have stepped up sexual education as well... 12! I'm either sounding really old here or children really are growing up much faster. 12! lol

 

[David Baxter PhD]

That's my concern, too, that 12 year old children will take this to mean that they should be having sex, rather than getting the message that if you feel you must at least make it safe sex. It's not just about pregnancy, of course, but also the whole range of STDs that they may know little about.

To be fair to the manufacturers, though, despite the canoe.ca headline it sounds like they are marketing this for teens "as young as 12" and trying to make available a better fitting condom to increase its efficacy.

 

[Andy]

Yes that's true. 14-18 year olds and maybe higher still get the message that they should be out there having a sex I don't how well a 12 year old would process that. The age 12 kind of jumps out at me as far as who it is for but I did see the 12-14. Just kind of shocking.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I was referring to this part:

in a German survey of 12,970 13- to 20-year-olds, a quarter of respondents said a standard condom is too large.

 

[Andy]

lol Oh yes, gotcha. Remind me to stay out of Germany. lol Just kidding.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Remind me to stay out of Germany.

Now THAT is comedy!

 

[busybee]

Wow I'm just amazed and feeling older every day. Too me 12 years should be still and innocent age. So sad the society we live in today.

 

[Andy]

Wow I'm just amazed and feeling older every day. Too me 12 years should be still and innocent age. So sad the society we live in today.

I know eh? I was wondering if it was just me aging that found it shocking or if it really was. I was getting my first drunk on at 12 so maybe it was just as bad then (not that I knew of though, when I was 12) and there is just more awareness because of a rise in pregnancies and STD's?
We all have to grow up sooner or later, may as well do it straight from the womb. lol *sarcasm* Growing up way to fast.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

See this book report on my blog from 2005: Growing Up Too Fast: The Rimm Report on the Secret World of America’s Middle Schoolers | Psychlinks Psychology & Mental Health Blog

 

[Andy]

I can understand with all that is put in kids faces with the media and homelife. Similar to the eating disorder situation. If parents can find ways to talk with their kids about stuff like that then that would be great but I don't think to many parents would feel comfortable talking with kids so young about such personal topics. A lot have a hard time with teenagers 14 and up. lol It would be nice to think that parents would just try to do it anyway and I'm sure some would but I think a lot would be in denial lol because of the age of their child. My baby wouldn't be into that, they are to young...not yet anyway. Education at school is the best way to go but even then there are the parents that think their kids are way to young to hear/see certain things and they complain or pull their kids from class. It should start at home though, that's for sure. Just my opinion.

 

[gaurdianAQ]

I don't understand why society puts such a big emphasis on sex/dating/relationships I'm 18 and I've never even kissed a girl, does that bother me not really. I definitely have my own sexual thoughts/desires but those didn't start till age 17 for me... 12 yeesh.

 

[busybee]

Hi, Well sex education at school has its up and down to. Many teachers are not necessarily comfortable with this. Getting the facts......... and have you been to the information sessions??? Wow, i even learnt some stuff.

As a parent there are books that can assist you with helping your child. We always had family conversations around the dinner table, and if on the news an item came up........ like statistics on childbirth, parenting..... defacto relationships, child protection......... all these issues would be discussed. No topic was taboo. Adds on condoms.......... whatever...... we would talk about if it was appropriate. The benefits....... just part of everyday life. But we also shared our values ........... and not all of them were successful!!! Parents just do their best. I think to monitoring what your kids watch. In australia two impressionable show on at family viewing time, Neighbours and Home and Away...... put so much emphasis on young love and drama in their lives. My children believe they were deprived as I would not allow them to watch that garbage. We had enough in our everyday lives without playing make believe. So just my thoughts too. We just did our best, I have 3 sons who for all my wrong doings as a parent, values their sexuality and the relationships or future relationships that they may have.

 

[Andy]

Hi, Well sex education at school has its up and down to. Many teachers are not necessarily comfortable with this. Getting the facts......... and have you been to the information sessions??? Wow, i even learnt some stuff.

lol When I was in school we had "Health class" and I think it was half the year. They had one teacher that was comfortable with teaching it, it was part of our grades and there wasn't a bunch of meetings to comfort the parents ahead of time. lol I almost think they ad it right back then. It definitely needs to be school and parents but for the kids who don't have parents that talk to them it's good to know that they aren't missing out completely if they can still learn something at school. lol I know I wouldn't want to teach it!