Interesting points, Beth. It reminds me of the fact that when much of the "sex is for marriage" doctrine was formed, people generally married at a much younger age. These days, people are often sexually mature for well over a decade before getting married, which throws a big wrench into the works.

Huh. I guess that's one thing coming of age in the 80s did for me, condoms were easily available and frequently used. We had coin operated dispensers in the dorms.

We had packages with condoms, fingercots, gloves, lube, and dental dams all available 24/7 outside the Health Center.

I knew women in college who couldn't prepare for sex (i.e. by having birth control around) because that would mean admitting to themselves that they actually planned to have sex

See, I can wrap my head around that, even if I think it's not a good viewpoint to have. But being on the Pill, but refusing to protect yourself from diseases? That makes no sense what so ever and scares me.

I've had good sex and emotionally healthy sex, but those things were not always with the same partner, and damn if I know how I'm going to be able to explain how fraught the whole thing is.

nods head

Fingercots?

Fingercots?

A condom for your finger. Seriously. Though it sounds like a little bed for your finger when it gets all tired out from typing.

The idea that America is morally superior and that we need to export our democracy with a gun is rooted in the presumption that Christianity is morally superior.

When I was in college (late 80s) I recall seeing a book that set forth the idea that America was God's chosen nation and was to do His will upon the earth. I was far more conservative then than I am now, and I still thought the idea was hella scary and could only lead to very, very bad things.

We had free condoms available everywhere, but I still knew girls who wouldn't have them around because of the "planning" aspect of it. The shame, she is strong.

I didn't consider them 2 separate things until you asked that -- me picking a stranger up and a stranger picking me up are equal in my mind.

And I didn't consider myself disingenous until you said ^that^. Because I got nothing against being picked up by a suitably hot guy who looks like he'll let me go in the morning. Just that *I* would never do the picking.

I'm just an old-fashioned girl in search of a zipless fuck, I guess.

Oh, we had free condoms, etc. available from the Clinic, but you had to walk several blocks for that. The dispenser was right there next to the laundry room.

I read somewhere that condoms are the most commonly shoplifted item at drugstores.