Broadsheet

Condomania

Looking for the latest news from the world of prophylactics? You've come to the right place.

I was going to do a general roundup, but then I thought to myself, It's Friday, why not do something a little more fun. Like, you know, an update on the realm of condoms. For example:

The BBC reports that "in between oiling their AK-47s," the Angolan army has been "using bananas as a model of what to do with a condom." Yes, you heard that right: The Angolan army has just joined your middle-school sex-ed class. The reasoning behind the bananas is that even though Angola's HIV infection rate is currently relatively low (3.9 percent of its 9 million people test positive), it has all the risk factors associated with HIV prevalence. And many of the soldiers have "never seen a condom before, much less used one," the doctor in charge is quoted as saying. By teaching the soldiers what to do with condoms, they're hoping to nip the problem in the bud. Or in the, uh, well ... never mind.

Continuing on, we have news from South Carolina's Index-Journal that a group of local high school girls who put a condom into their substitute teacher's coffee mug will not actually be pressed with charges.

That's not the case, however, for the genius who claimed to have invented a spray-on condom. He, along with Citrofresh -- an organic antibacterial product company -- is facing fines of up to $400,000 (Australian) for misleading investors. Also questionable? The stock art for this article, which shows a finger pressing down on an aerosol can that could easily be confused with hairspray or, for that matter, Mace.

But that's not all. DKT has just launched a coffee-flavored condom in Ethiopia called "Sensation Coffee." Unfortunately for all you caffeine fiends out there, it's currently available only in Ethiopia.

Over in Zambia, there's a guy who's hoping to become the nation's Mr. Condom (not to be confused with similar efforts in India and Thailand).

And finally, speaking of India, it has launched its first condom bar. This is a bit old (the bar opened back in May), but for anyone who hasn't kept up with condom bar news, this one's got condom-shaped beer mugs, condom-themed prints on employees' uniforms and decorations made out of real condoms. The bar offers free condoms, and even gives out condoms in lieu of loose change. I did, given the context, get a bit confused by the article's description of the place as a "bar cum discothèque," but the point is that it's an effort to help people get over their inhibitions about condoms. Now if the Angolan army could only organize a field trip ...

Feminism in the news

Loading...

Currently in Salon

  • What the Democrats can learn from the Republicans about managing the ménage à trois within the party
  • From cash-strapped polygamists to rogue lawn mowers at Sterling Cooper, the greatest shows dared to provoke
  • At least, I was until now. Because in my circle, nothing is more embarrassing than being religious
  • This daring experimental film depicts a sold-out and stolen country. Oh yeah -- my dad made it
  • Two holiday parties: One dirty, the other covered in dirt
  • Jacob Hacker breaks with fellow progressives, comes out in favor of the Senate's proposal
  • Richard Kelly's much-maligned second feature reminds me of the dirty, daring, imperfect country that birthed it
  • She never became Hollywood's It girl, but she was as daffy and heartbreaking as her A-list contemporaries
  • Christopher Nolan's second feature scrambled my brain and expounded a bleak philosophy. But I forget what
  • It's spawned a VH1 show and an excuse for Tiger Woods. But some experts balk at the idea of being hooked on nooky

Other News