Carrying a condom doesn’t make you a whore

I still remember the first time my first boyfriend and I bought condoms. It was that awkward moment in which both of us looked at the other hoping the other was more brave to pass through the pharmacy door. In the end we decided that the vending machine outside was a better option.

Another time I went to buy condoms on my own. It was part of a gift for a friend, so I bought the smallest package. I payed and the pharmacist asked me in a very loud voice: “Do you think only three are really enough?”. I turned red in my face and I went out, hiding my shopping bag deep in my backpack.

Years later, I discovered I am sensitive to latex. This means I had to find a solution to not have my vagina on fire every time I wanted to have safe sex. I went to a pharmacy and asked for latex free condoms and this happened: the pharmacist started going around looking for condoms, showing each package she could find, shouting to me if I thought it was the right type, the one I was looking for. Then she involved the other pharmacist, still shouting if she knew they had some free latex condoms for me. He didn’t understand for who so she pointed at me.

Finally they found what I needed and I went out with the package in my bag. Later that evening, I was in at a bar and as I was taking my wallet out, the condoms fell on the floor. My friends looked at me like I just dropped a gun or a kilo of cocaine instead of some condoms. One of them asked me why I had condoms in my bag, with the tone of someone who’s asking why was I carrying freshly butchered rabbit legs.

I could see from their faces that it is sameful. Condoms are related to the dark side of the sex, the casual sex, which needs protection. We all know condoms are the only barrier method protecting us from illness and, bonus point, they also make sure you don’t get knocked up in the process.

So why is everyone, and women especially, afraid of buying condoms?

Lovability Condoms, a New York based company, is trying to change this by focusing on the design. The packaging looks like a fancy moisturiser. It’s pink and even if I don’t like it connotation of “feminine” color, I have to admit that in this case it helps a lot to break mental barriers and makes buying condoms part of the normal shopping.

Plus, they’re also trying to spread sexual education among young women. Yeah, in 2016 we still need this kind of initiatives. And yes, sex is still a cool thing for boys, but not for girls, at least not in public.

This is L., a San Francisco based company, uses the same model of TOMS shoes: when you buy a product on their website, one is donated to a female entrepreneur in a developing country. Distributing products through entrepreneurs pushes them to educate other people about these topics, to let people know they are free to decide on their own when it comes to sex.

Fear and shame are feelings for weak people. And women should not be the weak sex anymore.

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