Random note about cultural takes on condoms:

Not too long after arriving in Mozambique, I read a New York Times article about how Trojan had been unsuccessful at marketing their new commercial, where a pig who is talking to an attractive woman at the bar goes into the restroom, comes out with a condom, and suddenly becomes the handsome object of her desire. Apparently it was rejected by the networks for its focus on sex appeal/pregnancy prevention rather than disease prevention and health.

In contrast:

I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised when we walked into the Director’s office at the Universidade Pedagogica da Beira to find a little basket of condoms (like one that would have little mints or York peppermint patties in it in the US) with a sign: “Help yourself!” Wrappers here emphasize the durability and efficiency of their product. Bathrooms and hotels are overflowing with them. 20-30% of the people here have HIV. I wish it were as easy as convincing people that condoms are sexy here in Mozambique; maybe once they get the convincing-people-that-condoms-might-save-their-lives thing down, they will worry about the having-them-in-administrative-offices-offending-the-sensibilities-of-the-public side of things.