If the intent is to not expose children to content related to sex, most popular Bollywood music and many of the prime time soap operas should face the axe first.
It is absolutely wrong and regressive to ban advertisements of condoms. At a time when the need to disseminate information and increase interest in safe sex and contraception is needed so much, this move is counterproductive.
By preventing airing these ads, you’re losing prime time in which you can educate your target audiences. It is a move against safe sex and information regarding contraception. Only 5.6 per cent of couples in the reproductive age group use condoms in this country (National Family Health Survey IV) at a time when we should be thinking of increasing condom use manifold, we are instead restricting condom ads to times when no one is going to watch it.
Moreover, since the blanket ban doesn’t clearly define what the category ‘children’ entails, it appears to be more of an excuse than a justification. If the intent is to not expose children to content related to sex, most popular Bollywood music and many of the prime time soap operas should face the axe first. The government can’t do that and condom ads have become the easy target. There is no evidence to show that airing condom ads affects ‘children’ in anyway, it is only the adults who are trying to impose their values on what is right and wrong.
Every opportunity to provide information must be used in a country like India where family planning is of the utmost importance. There, obviously, is a prejudice against condom ads. They’re directly related to sex and hence, a prudish society can’t deal with that. Other products, which are not directly related to sex, often use the same trope but that is considered acceptable. There are scores of ads that have sexual undertones, from footwear to soft drinks. Why not ban those? If there is one category of product that can legitimately talk of sex and have sexual overtones in its ads, that is condoms!
This is a conservative move. We are doing a great disservice to those who want to practise safe sex. Particularly for young adults, who can greatly benefit from information about the same. Somehow, we believe that young people don’t have sex and that Indians practise sex only for procreation. The ban encourages such a regressive mindset. It is high time we bring conversations about sex out of the closet and talk about it more openly. One way to do it is by encouraging and supporting advertising condoms and contraception during prime time.
This is not the first time condoms have faced this, it happened in early 1980s when TTK Fiesta Colored Condoms were launched (one color for each day), late 1980s when Kama Sutra was launched. People in general are hesitant talking about condoms, buying condoms. By restricting condom advertisements, we are reinforcing the impression that this is not a product to be associated with.
Commercial brands of condoms and contraceptives should be allowed to be advertised freely. It is in public interest. The aim of any advertisement is to arouse interest in the product so that people make better choices. Such a ban is a ban on information. If the government or anyone has problem with specific condom advertisements, they can move the industry self-regulating body. Advertising Standards Council of India can ensure that the so called ‘indecent’ ads are not aired, rather than going in for a blanket ban.
V.S. Chandrashekar is the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Reproductive Health Services India