The condom conundrum

The condom has come with something. It has come with infidelity, cheating and lack of trust. It has made us think less about repercussions of sexual contact. It has made us focus on short term benefits of sex.

It used not to be there, and there was still sex. It came and there is still sex. It used not to be there and there was joy. It came and there is still joy. It used not to be there and there was trust. There was respect; there was love; there was procreation.
Once upon a time, there was agreed family planning. In the past there was ejaculation as a means of family planning. Once, there was an allowance for a man to sleep around to control birth in his family. Once, there was monna selepe o a amoganwa to control birth. Once there were fewer STDI’s. Just once, and once again, there was a totally different kind of sexual safety.
Now, the condom is used as a reliable means of family planning. Ejaculation is only done inside the latex. Sleeping around in the pretext of family planning is a taboo. Now, no woman has an excuse to allow monna selepe and no man has a reason to cling to that belief. That’s the power of the condom I know.
However, it has not eluded some with its casual woo. It has not enchanted some with its typical smell. It has caused nausea and resistance to some. It has not replaced a ring in marriage. It has not found legs in to bedrooms of a few who are holding on to the old testament. It has authority, like Batswana chiefs, but not absolute authority.
The condom has come with something. It has come with infidelity, cheating and lack of trust. It has made us think less about repercussions of sexual contact. It has made us focus on short term benefits of sex. It has made us go for pleasure. It has polluted our thinking as a people. It has made us braver, less fearful of disease and pregnancy. The condom has made us fear no race, no colour, no illness, no age, no religion, no social status and no boundaries.
This is earth, the world; the world of adventure. The condom has met the world of adventure. It has lived in a suitable habitat and a suitable time in history. We are thinking about the male condom here. It has assassinated love and rejuvenated lust. It has killed purity and rejuvenated promiscuity. It has killed sacredness and rejuvenated impurity, or impunity. Wait a minute, but has it, actually? Or it is us who have misused it.
And now: blasphemy. Doesn’t the bible say we should procreate? Will it suffice to conclude that we are an offspring of sin from Adam and Eve. Had they not sinned we wouldn’t be forced to copulate and ultimately wear condoms. We would be nude brothers and sisters. And funny enough we wouldn’t be alive. How do we then break away from the trap and procreate?
Recently, there has been an influx of male condoms in small and big shops. I can safely conclude that we in Botswana do not have a shortage at all. The condom is very visible nowadays. Children grow in to a world of condoms. It has become their usual sight in shops. It holds their future, their being. My question now is: Is there ever going to be a generation that will not idolize the condom? My guess is no, and so, if that’s the case, let the influx boom, and creative minds may now start thinking of the possibility of condom recycling. Just the possibility.
Otlaadisa Lerei Serei
P O Box 2
Letlhakeng
71264222
otlaadisalereiserei@yahoo.com