A bit of T.V history was made Thursday, as a condom commercial aired on primetime television for the first time.
The new Trojan ad ran on UPN, and, the ad has been approved to run during prime time on both the WB and NBC.
The condom ad uses H.I.V. statistic to drive home the point that other than abstinence there is only one way to protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases, a condom.
Proponents of the move hope it will help facilitate dialogue between parents and their children. However, opponents say the commercials will encourage sexual activity.
Chris Taylor of Planned Parenthood says, "During primetime there certainly is a lot of sexually explicit programs on so certainly it is appropriate we believe to introduce more of an educational approach to sexual health issues." Meanwhile Julaine Appling of Family Research Institute of Wisconsin says, "there's no way to be 100% safe outside of abstinence, that's the message our young people need to hear."
The Trojan campaign is called "Make a Difference".
Until now, condom commercials have aired during late night programming when children are assumed to be asleep.
