In the era of PreP, condoms are back in fashion, boys!

Article by Maya Vukovska

In the newly released comedy Red, White & Royal Blue, the son of the first American female president and Britain’s prince are having a low-profile love affair. I haven’t yet seen it myself, but people who have claim that what’s even more unrealistic than pairing those two guys is that they are using condoms when they fuck. And I asked myself, why should that be so unusual? In the era of the magic blue pill, bare-back sex videos, and hugely ignored jars of free condoms at the dive bars, it’s not a surprise that gay men are having more unprotected sex than ever - despite the fact that the cases of STDs have doubled in the past 20 years! A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia shows that the percentage of sex without condoms among HIV-negative gay men has increased from 46% to 70% from 2003 till now. The introduction of PrEP and some injectable medication that, taken as a pre-intercourse measure, prevent HIV infection, enabled people to fuck without the fear they may get AIDS. But this type of reckless behavior left them susceptible to chlamydia, syphilis, and whatnot. It is a fact that gay men contract infections at higher rates than heterosexuals because they are more likely to have many partners at the same time, and sexually transmitted diseases thrive better in smaller networks of people. The good news is that condoms are having their comeback moment right now. And the scene in Red, White & Royal Blue, with the ripped-open wrappers on the bedside table after a night of fucking is not the only proof. It seems like other TV series too, fashion brands, celebrities, and pop artists are taking advantage of condoms' big moment. But let’s get back to the scandalous romance between Alex, the President’s son (Taylor Zakhar Perez), and his royal counterpart from over the big pond, Henry (Nicholas Galitzine). The director of the comedy, Matthew López, was not exactly thrilled by the reaction of certain gay Twitter circles making fun of the scene with the condoms. He said the inclusion of the condoms was intentional. He and the production's intimacy coordinator (yes, they do have one of these nowadays!) agreed on not having the prince of PrEP because, well, for somebody in his position it’d be high risk to ask for a prescription for such a medication, right? But because they did not want Henry to look like a careless, irresponsible asshole, but rather like someone who takes his sexual health seriously, they “bought” him condoms. In Episode 6 of Season 2 of the binge-watch series, And Just Like That, the writers took on a similar plot line. Charlotte’s elder daughter, Lily, announces she’s ready to lose her virginity and her mom ventures out in a horrendous New York blizzard to purchase condoms and deliver them to her boyfriend’s apartment. It's a pretty lame, unlikely real-life scenario. I mean, anybody in their right mind would just use a delivery service app rather than call their mum, right? But yes, we get the message: Be responsible and use protection. How so 1990s! The pill may have put the condoms out of use but now fashion designers are bringing them back in style. From the golden foiled condom adorned with the Saint Laurent signature to a Diesel-Durex collaboration, the summer of 2023 has become the season of promoting voguish prophylactic. Back in April, Diesel partnerеd with Durex, and the result was quite impressive. At a Milan show later this year, guests could see a massive pile of 200,000 condoms, and the models walked down the runway to sex noises. The slogan of the collaborative collection is “For Sucsexfull Living”. Additional 30, 000 condoms were given away in Diesel stores worldwide. The director of media relations of the company explained that “the scale was meant to symbolize the significance of the topic and the continued need for communities to rally around individual freedoms.” Soon, the trend stepped out of the catwalk and invaded the sidewalk. Celebrities, too embraced the trend, and you could Julia Fox, a devoted fashionista herself, with a bag, boots, and a top made of…condoms! The very much pregnant Rihanna didn’t fall behind, and was spotted wearing an oversized T-shirt from her own brand that bore the slogan “Use a Condom” - a fashion statement that was seen as a tribute to Naomi Campbell’s 2003 tank top with the same slogan. Pop artists are also capitalizing on condoms’ big moment. Earlier this year, Omar Apollo announced he'd be adding themed condoms to his online shop. The wrappers of the wearable contraceptives will say “We cum at the same time”, and of course, fans can’t wait to start buying and wearing rubbers branded with their fave gay idol. So, yes, y'all, condoms are back with a vengeance. And they are more fashionable to wear than ever. Literally.