This link is from the website of the Planned Parenthood of Mid/South Michigan and was published in the October 11, 2012, edition of The State News, a publication for students at Michigan State University. They try to dress it up like some well-conceived (no pun intended) caution to sexually active youth, but in reality it is nothing less than misinformation that will lead people to believe that condoms are a reliable defense against Human Papillomavirus (HPV). How can an institution which labels itself as a “health provider” be allowed to spread such a dangerous an misleading message regarding health? That is a redundant question. That being said, here is my attempt to clarify Planned Parenthood’s foolish negligence. I suggest you read the linked article now and then come back to my observations:

Here’s a news bulletin Hombach, use of a condom is not a reliable defense against HPV. The sexually transmitted disease you contracted could have been from one of your previous sexcapades with one of the other guys you had already slept with, while using a condom. In fact, you may have actually infected your unprotected “one night stand” guy, with some totally different strain of HPV you were carrying. Since you hadn’t been tested before, you have no clue as to whether you were already infected, right?

That’s the thing about Planned Parenthood: They don’t really deal with facts and reality. Most of their information is no better than propaganda. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) WebMD and others are a little more reliable though and they tell us that condoms are only 50% effective (at best) at preventing infection with HPV. In fact, HPV is so common and so easily spread, there are not any reliable studies on HPV that the medical industry knows of. One thing we know for certain is that HPV is spread by skin contact and not simply with bodily fluids. Therefore, the condom would only be effective if it encapsulated your entire body, which takes all the fun out of promiscuous sex, which is probably why they are called Hazmat suits and not condoms.

So, Hombach, the only reliable way to avoid being infected with sexually transmitted diseases, like herpes, HPV, gonorrhea, HIV/Aids, chlamydia, and all the others, is to abstain from sex until you are married. You have chosen otherwise with some amount of frequency it sounds, but for anyone who wants to take their health, their relationships and their life, more seriously, a strong commitment to self-restraint and self-respect is in order. You can also respect the person by remaining chaste.

At the end of the article, Hombach says, “I’m still the same person,” she said. “I still have the same morals. I had a lapse in judgment, but I still have the same morals about everything, and (it’s not) like it completely changed me.” Here’s the final news bulletin for Hombach (I could provide many more, but something tells me she isn’t capable of appreciating very many of these): Your lapse in moral judgment was not the decision to proceed without a condom. Your lapse in moral judgment was the decision to engage in premarital sex on this occasion and on all the previous and apparently subsequent occasions. Your statement seems to ignore that fact and conveniently identify the use of the condom as the only moral alternative in that situation. Now that you know that the condom is at best, 50% effective, you should probably get back to your pre-sexually active days and commit yourself to chastity, especially since you are now infected and will now infect at least ½ of the guys you sleep with whether you use a condom or not.

I hope Hombach never gets cancer and I hope that all the other really debilitating symptoms of HPV never manifest with her, such as genital warts, the infertility that results from the hysterectomy that would be necessary if she is diagnosed with cervical cancer and things like throat cancer. And I hope she doesn’t infect anyone else or contract any additional strains of HPV. But this should have been more of a wake-up call than it appears to have been for Hombach. I suspect she will continue to live a confused life about sexual activity and in the process, experience many more occasions where she finds herself “bawling her eyes out”.

In order to take this more seriously, there are a few things to remember:
1. Don’t place yourself in a situation where you and your “friend” are alone, in a bedroom.
2. Don’t let your conversations slide into the risqué with your “friend”.
3. Don’t fool yourself into believing that using a condom or any other “protection” is a reliable defense against the stew of sexually transmitted diseases in which you are about to swim.
4. Don’t drink alcohol when you are in a setting that could lead to a situation where you are alone with someone who could be an intimate partner.
5. Don’t use drugs.
6. Make sure more than just one friend or family member is with you at all times when you are around someone who has the potential to be an intimate partner.
7. Keep your clothes on.
8. Keep your conversations virtuous.
9. Stay in public places on dates or when out with someone who could be an intimate partner.
10. Sex is not supposed to be spontaneous, fun and exciting when you are unmarried.
11. Once you have made the decision to engage in premarital sex, the 2nd, 3rd and subsequent times happen much easier.
12. But even if you have made the mistake once or maybe many times, you can re-dedicate yourself to virtue and chastity.