AIBU to complain about condom advert on the Tube?

[PerspicaciousGreen]

I regularly travel on the London Tube with my children. They have eyes. One of them can read a bit. They ask questions. I often have to have conversations with them that I don't think I should have to have at their age simply in order to get from A to B.

I know that I'm more sensitive than average to sexual imagery - both when it comes to me and to my children. For example, I don't like having to go past a whole platform of bra adverts featuring women in, obviously, nothing but their underwear. Yes, I can avert my eyes, but I can't opt out of being aware of them at all. But as I said, I know most people aren't bothered by it and I can't expect TFL to cater to my own personal preferences.

But today I saw an advert by Durex with picture of a young man and a slogan that said something like, "For the condom that fits perfectly every time".

Am I being unreasonable to think that if TFL is going to brand itself as being diverse and open and inclusive, that has to include families with children below the age of consent? And that openly advertising sex products to actual children is not OK? There was no adult-only innuendo or hidden message - I was just grateful our train arrived before my child asked, "Mummy, what's a condom?" A generation ago it would have been unthinkable to have sex adverts in a public place.

I am going to complain to TFL that their advertising policy allows "adult" adverts, but I don't expect to get anywhere with them. So AIBU?

ungrip. Otherwise you risk raising kids who DONT use condoms. Its a natural thing. they WILL be having sex in the future and all you can do is prepare them, you dont need to use grim words just scientific facts. Its science, our bodies are natural, childbirth and having children is natural so TEACH them rather than clenching up every time you see anything about a condom -_-

Its simply a tool to stop pregnancy and to keep safe like a medicine

I am going to complain to TFL that their advertising policy allows "adult" adverts, but I don't expect to get anywhere with them.
Condoms aren't "adult" products. Regardless of legality many children have sex before the age of 16 and it's better they use condoms if they do.

So AIBU?
Yes.

guess to me it feels the same as putting up a billboard with links to a porn site on a public road opposite a primary school

Condoms are vital for public health. It's estimated that they've prevented over 100 million HIV infections worldwide, not to mention even more other STIs and unwanted pregnancies.

Completely different to porn.

Yabu. Condoms need to be normalised so teens aren’t embarrassed to buy them

You are obviously trolling us

Quite frankly I think it is important that age appropriate converasation happen around safe sex etc.
I think we can look to the past to see these things being hidden and not discussed was not a great idea. Those ads are bring up a discussion between you and your children. Great, that is how children learn in a factual and safe enviroment rather that internet, social media.
My mother was a midwife and the amount of babies she delievered from young girls who had no idea they were pregnant was scary and worse was they had been told nothing about sex so when a relative/family friend told these girls that rape was normal bit of growing up was terrifying. But as they never had any talk at all about sex etc they knew no different as what they were being told was coming from a adult

Just get a grip.

It’s actually great marketing for them to advertise that in a tube station especially due to the night tubes where people come and go on a night out. The answer the pp said about ‘it’s something grown ups use/wear if they don’t want to have a baby’ is literally perfect

Have your children never seen you in a bra or seen a bra on your washing line? I think most children of that age know that women wear bras and have breasts.

I’ve not seen the condom advert but if it just shows a man (either clothed or only visible from the chest up) then your children are only going to see a picture of a man. It’s not sexual. If they ask what a condom is you answer the way every other parent of a young child does “it’s something for adults” until you feel they are old enough to know.

Brace yourself. Life is going to get a lot harder than this as they grow up.

Anyone order a Victorian?

There are perfectly age appropriate ways of explaining condoms.

YAB SO U

Indeed. It’s actually a good public health goal to normalise condoms and make sure that young people see them as a standard thing long before they even consider having sex themselves.

It’s beyond ridiculous to compare it to porn.

YABU

Gosh this is peak mumsnet

Offended over an advert for condoms

So what if your child asked what a condom is, if they're over the age of 6/7 they should know anyway

This post highlights your own issues with sex and I honestly think you’re wasting your time debating here and are better off seeking counsel and exploring why you make the instant leap from condom ad to porn.

Sex is normal. Condoms are normal. Not to be compared with advertising a porn site outside a school!!

Women in bras? Seriously?

Is this some strange kind of religious thing?

You really think those two things are remotely comparable?

And I am really struggling to understand what is wrong with lingerie.

To be honest I would be a lot more concerned about how your children will learn to navigate a world where people wear underclothes, have bodies, and aren't ashamed of such things.

🙄

I’m waiting for the post where she says they are seventeen and fifteen

Yes you are unreasonable and if your child asks just explain in simple terms so growing up he/she does not have the shame or ignorance we grew up with in late 70's/80's towards sex and he will have the knowledge. I don't like those adverts with naked women plastered everywhere but what can we do. But I also think there needs to be more awareness and advertising on tv/online for sexual safety as hiv/aids has not gone away but barely any advertising about it and at least now young people are growing up with knowledge and not the shame we had.

The bras - you don’t take your kids to the beach then? 🤣

Condoms are really important.

There is nothing inherently shameful or innocence-destroying about sex. Plenty of parents manage to explain a child-friendly version when they have a second child. And when I say child-friendly, I don’t mean twee shite - I just mean simplified. There’s nothing wrong with a young child knowing that dad has the seed, mum has the egg, the egg is inside mum and to get the seed into it, the dad’s penis goes into mum’s vagina. Condoms are super-easy to explain. Just be glad you’re not being asked to turn endocrinologist on the tube and explain how the pill work 🤣

Pearl clutching at its finest!

What is sexual used about a woman in her bra being in a bra advert?

If there’s any issue here it’s with you thinking that a normal depiction of a woman is sexualised.

Publicly displayed adverts in places like transport hubs should be suitable for children.

Sympathy OP, I used to have to regularly take a train with my child where there was a gigantic poster featuring horrific images (think dissolving zombie face). It gave my child nightmares and upset him so much on our journeys.

Tfl’s advertising policy was created by idiots who know nothing about children, or worse, know that they’re upsetting children and causing problems for parents, but don’t care as long as the advertising money keeps coming in 😢

How old are you OP? Because we certainly talked about condoms in the 80s when AIDS was the word on everyone’s lips/tv/advertising campaign.

@Minecraftatemychild it's not TFLs advertising policies it's the ASAs policies

As long as companies can show a low % of inappropriate eyes on the advert placement they can run the ad

Ad you'd expect the largest percentage year round of those using the tube will be adults

I would absolutely argue that adverts for condoms are suitable for children. They are something that should be a normal part of life.

It must be fucking exhausting to be so absurdly fretful about everything.