Condom-ned if they do ...

Planned Parenthood's website is now offering keychains with fobs that contain condoms inside--which have been around for at least 20 years--along with clever slogans such as "Break in case of emergency" and "The only thing that will come between us." Unfortunately, one labelled simply "Art" features the Sistine Chapel's famous Michelangelo mural of God reaching out to Adam--offering a condom. Not likely to spur conversation with Christians opposed to condoms, although Planned Parenthood hardly seems to care. And a few Christians are getting a little grumpy about them.

Kristian Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, called the Sistine Chapel key chain image "a very crude and crass manuver" that "does nothing to deal with the horrific promiscuity rate we have among teenagers." Well, that's true, but I don't think it's the promiscuity rate but the unplanned pregnancy rate PP was after.

Planned Parenthood can certainly be critcized for a restriction-less approach to abortion, but I also think that they're also dedicated to preventing unplanned pregnancies in the first place. When I taught sex-ed, I found their website to be full of helpful, comprehensive information about safer sex, methods of birth control and their reliability, and STD prevention--including abstinence!

And given the ruthlessness with which the both political and religious powers-that-be push abstinence only sex education and family planning not only in the U.S. but throughout the world, I think PP can get away with a nose-thumbing at religious opponents of their brand of prevention.