Scrutinize my ass!

So there’s this ad on TV. It’s some ad about protecting oneself (yes, I said ‘oneself’) from HIV and all that comes with it. Tag-line: "Scrutinize, turn HIV into HI-Victory". Crappy animation but great message.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all about an HIV-free generation, but this one really got me thinking. It seems the basic idea around this one is basically about looking out for your male friend in case they’re drunk enough to have sex with the loose-est girl in the club. You know the one who dances the most, drinks almost anything she can get her hands on, grins at almost every other guy who walks past her. Yes you know her.

Let’s be honest here. This is a very important message to all the guys out there who know a guy who does the whole targeting the drunkest girl in the area thing. This advert is talking to you. That’s right. You my friend. You.

As the voice-over lady clearly point out, “if your friend is too drunk to put it on, don’t put him in the game” or something along those lines. Which basically means, if you see that your friend is drunk too drunk to put a condom on. You should stop him. Somehow. Maybe advice him not to go after that girl. But whichever one you choose, just make sure his blood-alcohol level is low enough to allow him to put a condom on properly. I have no idea how any one is ever gonna verify your friend’s condom-wearing abilities under the influence, but this is a task that has been put firmly on your shoulders. You are the person who has to check that your friend can do the deed to do the deed. You know what I mean? So, let’s look at our options here... shall we...?

1. You could always do some stupid pop-quiz thing. You know, like, the basics of putting a condom on. Ask him that and see what he says. Maybe the traffic cops could also adopt this to find out if a person is too drunk to be with the female companion by his side. Anyways...
   

I guess that’s pretty much all you got. Otherwise there’s no other way of knowing if the dude is sober enough to even think about a condom. Still, even 100% teetotallers ignore using a condom sometimes, if not all the time. Even if the guy knows all the basics around condoms there’s still no way of guaranteeing that he’s gonna use it when he gets caught up in the moment of passion.

At the end of the day, using a condom is not really about being too drunk or sober enough to protect yourself. Using a condom each time you have sex is pretty much like everything else in the world. It’s all about choice. You can’t choose for the next person, all you can do is telling that person about the dangers of not using protection; the rest is really up to them. Nobody else. It’s between the two (or more) of them. You can’t make anyone do anything.

With the festive season upon us, obviously drinks will be had so please make sure your friends can put condoms on. If they’re too drunk, then lend them a hand. No, I’m joking. Don’t do that. That’s just off-putting.

Scrutinize, scrutinize. At least check if he’s got one on him. The rest is really out of your hands.