IN THE NEWS: "Extra small condoms for 12 year-olds go on sale"

You heard right.

A Switzerland company has begun selling the "hotshot" 'hat' for little boys who previously haven't had enough knowledge, or the right sized condoms, to prevent STD's and pregnancies.  Elementary kids can now trade the candy for condoms to keep in their crayon boxes.

Switzerland has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in Europe, and in this new effort to "halve" the problem, enter the kiddie condom.

I don't know how effective marketing will be for pre-teen boys to buy "extra small" condoms.  I know this is beside the point but consider the audience.  It would seem more appropriate to call it something along the lines of "The Big Magic Balloon" with a picture of Harry Potter on the wrapper.  Or better yet, Veggie Tales star, Cucumber Larry sporting the body-wrap...

But the logical end of marketing condoms to 12 year-olds would be a self-fulfilling prophecy: "give them condoms and they're gonna have sex."  But is that really the case? When I was that age, the local clinic gave out free condoms to kids from my jr. high but that didn't mean I was any more likely to "get some."  So where's the debate? 

All the arguments for or against giving condoms to children seem to be missing a major point: condoms don't prevent a broken heart.  If it's difficult for grown, married adults to navigate the treacherous, dramatic waters that come with a sexual relationship, then how can a child process the emotional baggage that comes with sex? When a 12, or 10, or 18 year-old girl or boy consummate a relationship, they may consider physical consequences, which can be avoided using a condom. But it is rare that they understand the emotional wreckage that could come their way.  We've all heard of painful divorces that rip families apart, even if there are no kids involved.  The only difference between a sexually active couple who breaks up and a marriage that ends in divorce is a short walk down an isle. 

So rather than argue whether it's right or wrong to make condoms available to children, let's do our kids in the United States a favor and educate them before they become victims of an oversexed society that would love for them to "drop trouser" at 12 years old.  This responsibility falls first on parents, then on the institutions that have historically been set up around children to protect them: the Church, schools, sporting programs etc...

I would really love to hear your opinion on the subject, don't leave without leaving your comment!