I was elected to speak, and so I talked in great detail about birth control pills and IUDs, trying to use up all the time so that I wouldn't have to talk about anything else. One of my group members, a girl whose last name was Callow, whispered in my ear when I was showing signs that my presentation was drawing to a close. “We need to tell them about condoms.” Turns out I was more callow than she was, and I, too embarrassed to mention such a thing, wrapped it up instead. Yeah, I was raised by Brits…the topic of condoms wasn’t proper for a young lady to discuss in public. My hesitancy to talk about condoms rightly cost our group several points from the supervising instructor.
Looking back, I can’t blame it entirely on my youth or my gender or even my upbringing. Judging from what Pope Benedict XVI has done this week, it turns out that if I was older, a man, and Catholic, I would have behaved in the same way. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/ap_on_re_af/af_pope_africa My ignorance may have affected 30 students, assuming any of them were actually listening. The pope’s message certainly holds more weight, and was delivered on a continent where 22 million people are already infected with HIV. He suggests that the problem could actually get worse with condom usage.
It’s appalling that antiquated religious viewpoints can be deemed applicable to a very modern problem in an area where people are looking so desperately for help and advice. Why an 81-year-old man who has never even had sex should be turned to in such times is beyond reason. Better off, I think, getting a savvy 15-year-old girl to do the job instead.
