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Few would argue that sex does not permeate the media. Research by Dale Kunkel and his colleagues shows not only that the incidence of sexual content on television has risen steadily over the years but also that the media may serve as important sex educators for young people. Yet there are few messages on television that help children, adolescents, and young adults learn about responsible sexual behavior and sexual health. Until recently, condoms and other contraceptive products were considered forbidden to advertise on television, but they have recently begun to make an appearance.

Network Policies

Three of the six broadcast networks as well as numerous cable channels have abandoned long-standing self-regulated policies prohibiting advertisements for contraceptive products on television. Fox was the first network to accept paid condom ads in 1991, with CBS following in 1998 and NBC in 1999. Several channels still prohibit advertising for condoms even though they accept ads for other types of birth control products; for example, ABC, whose channels do run condom commercials, often have restrictions governing times they can be shown and how they may be advertised. Numerous cable channels also accept condom advertisements, including MTV, Comedy Central, CNN, BET, TNT, USA, and TBS.

ABC, WB, and UPN executives continue to bar condom advertising on their networks. UPN aired a condom advertisement for Trojan on one occasion in 1998, but responses from affiliates were so negative that no condom ads have been aired on the network since. The exclusion of condom ads as well as ads for other contraceptive products is still presently enforced, although UPN does broadcast public service announcements (PSAs) discussing HIV/AIDS and awareness of sexually transmitted diseases.

Condoms are not the only form of birth control that continues to encounter difficulties being advertised on television. Blairex Laboratories, the company that manufactures Encare, a vaginal spermicide suppository, attempted to air a commercial that discussed pregnancy prevention on television, but they were rejected by ABC. Fox also refused to air the ad during its prime-time programming schedule on the grounds that, although the network does air condom ads, it does not air products for certain other contraception products or for other products that may be considered controversial. The Encare commercial was finally aired on NBC and CBS, under time restrictions, as well as on the USA Network in 2001.

Public Opinion

A national survey of 1,142 adults conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) has recently determined that 71% of Americans are in favor of showing condom advertisements on television. Thirty-seven percent of those in favor say that condom ads should be allowed to be shown at any time during the day, and 34% are in favor of airing condom ads only at certain times, such as after 10 p.m., when younger children are less likely to be viewing. One in four Americans still believes that condom ads have no place on television, and such ads have been the subject of criticism by conservative groups from this population.

Americans between the ages of 18 and 49 years old are significantly more likely to be in favor of airing condom ads than are Americans over the age of 50. Among adults under the age of 50, 82% support showing condom ads on television, in comparison to only 60% of respondents over 50. According to this research, more people are opposed to showing beer ads (34%) on television than to showing condom ads (25%).

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