So, Christmas is coming, and this period of the year is often the occasion for families to get together. That’s the moment you’re most likely to spend some time with relatives you don’t see that much, everyone is (supposed to be) in a good spirit, it’s a time of rejoice and never mind if, like usual, you spent so much money giving a hand to Santa Claus. Now, here’s a present that you may not have in mind, that doesn’t cost much, and that can be more than useful: condoms. Of course, you’re not going to pack condoms and put them under the Christmas tree, but think about it for a second: there’s nothing much you can do to stop global warming in the next few days, you probably won’t be able to find a radical solution against economic crisis, and you have a very tiny chance to discover a new treatment against brain cancer. Yet you can do something something to protect your own family from teenage pregnancy, AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. And please keep in mind that it doesn’t only happen to others. Though the first problem seemed to have decreased during the last few years (at least in the UK), it’s a real shame that, every year, so many people get infected by AIDS: we all know how to stop the epidemic, and yet, we didn’t managed to erase it.
It’s isn’t complicated at all, and it might change their lives: during these family gathering, just take your teenage nephews or nieces aside, give them two condoms and simply tell them: “I want you to keep that in your pocket wherever you go.” Normally, they’ve heard about it in high school, so you don’t have to say anything else, and anyway they’ll be too embarrassed to be willing to have a long discussion about it.
Who should do this and who should he/she give condoms to? Parents usually don’t do this: children don’t ask questions about their parent’s sexuality, and parents should do the same for them. Besides, some teenagers have a tendency to do just the opposite of what their parents told them, so let’s not take the chance. Therefore, teenagers could be given condoms by another member of their family, preferably by the one they would never imagine that he/she would do something like that. If someone as old as their great grand mother or this uncle that has never understood how his cell phone works give them condoms, then it means that condoms are something really important, that everyone has used, and that they should take seriously. As for you, whatever your age, just look as teenagers that have understood that babies aren’t brought by the stork and go talk to them privately.
Just a few words are enough, but it means a lot. But let’s be clear about it: you’re not encouraging teenagers to be sexually active. You might have religious values, and think as sex as a sin: in that case, just remember that God is supposed to judge those sins, that’s His job, yours is only to make sure that your relatives stay safe. You’re only acknowledging that this children have grown up, that they could be in danger, and the only way to protect themselves if ever or whenever they’ll have their first sexual experience is by using condoms. And it’s saying something else: you recognize that they aren’t kids anymore, they’re still something “in-between” (remember that the concept of adolescence is quite new in the History of Humanity). Their life is about to change, they are becoming something else. Still they will remain part of the family, and that is permanent. If they need support in this delicate period of their life, they can count on their relatives. You’ll always be on their side, whatever happens.
That’s what family is for. And that’s what Christmas is about.
