While encompassing myself within the fold of my college routine during the time that I had been enrolled as a student of Camden County College since last year, it never occurred in my wildest dreams that one day the college will suddenly implement its decision to install condom dispensers in all restrooms in taking precautions to curb the largely looming threat of AIDS. As anticipated, there was soon a widespread uproar over the decision and a controversy arose about the moral consequences and other psychological impacts the decision will have on the students. I personally do not favor the installation of such machines because they will not fulfill any constructive purpose and will cause more harm than relief in the given circumstances. The widely prevalent carefree attitude that students have will encourage them to misuse the facility in making much of a joke about the dispensing machines than thinking of them as being useful for the given purpose. In this context, I can imagine a group of students who can play a nave joke by ingenuously blowing up the condoms and placing them near the office of the principal or around the girls’ dormitories. The condoms will additionally, in all probability, subsist in being used as water balloons in manifestation of the easy availability. In this fashion supplementary problems will be created than be resolved.
I myself think such practices to be very impracticable and improbable since sex is an instinct which is spontaneous and a couple, before getting into the act, will not abruptly articulate with each other in first fetching a condom all the way from the dispenser installed inside the restroom. Barely ever will students take a condom from the dispenser and stockpile it for an occasion when they possibly will decide to have sex with their partners. My personal assessment and opinion in regard to the adverse impact that such an action will have has caused me to get worried since my family, which also includes my little sister, can make a surprise entry into the college anytime during the week end, and walk into the campus for a visit to my dormitory. I would by no means appreciate the idea of my sister walking past the condom dispenser in the restroom and grappling with the machine thinking that it is the dispenser which will dispense some chocolates. Such circumstances would greatly impair my reputation as well as that of the college in the viewpoint of my family.
A major reason for many students to refrain from active sex is the enormous risk and embarrassment attached with buying condoms at the local drug store. Indulging in sex without condoms would imply lack of protection for many youth; hence there will be plenty of them who would restrain from experimenting with unprotected sex in the absence of condoms. If however facilitation and convenience is provided in this regard, a large number of students would jump at the idea and become willing to take a chance. Consequently the culture of higher levels of permissiveness will be introduced thus increasing the propensity of the risk factors. I therefore feel it is better to let the condoms remain in the drug stores so that there is lesser convenience in getting them; thus saving the young generation from added risks. By putting the condom dispensers in the restrooms, the college administration will enable their anonymous purchase and will encourage sex amongst the younger group of students who are not supposed to indulge in sexual promiscuity. Although the machine is installed for the purpose of preventing students from the dangers associated with sex, it will increase the curiosity amongst such students in view of easy availability of condoms and expose them to further risks in forming the habit much early in life.
Works Cited
Bronwen Pardes, Doing It Right: Making Smart, Safe, and Satisfying Choices About Sex, 2007, Simon Pulse.
Dr Stephen Genius, What About the Condom, Risky Sex, 1992, Edmonton, Alberta, Winfield Publishing, The Great Condom Dispute, 2001, Citizenship Foundation, Unit 11.