Indians and sex share an uneasy relationship. While we are getting a lot of action – which explains our burgeoning population – we shy away from discussing the topic with an open mind. Condom makers Durex tried to break this awkward silence by broaching the topic of safe sex in India with a tweet.
What’s happening India? 95% of Indians don’t use condoms! We’d love to know why?
— Durex India (@DurexIndia) March 5, 2018
According to Durex, 95 per cent Indians don’t use condoms. Now, there is no way of authenticating this figure, for the company didn’t provide the source. At the very outset the claim seems to be a ludicrous one. Because common sense tells us the entire 95 per cent of the Indian population doesn’t need to use condoms. Although, there is no denying the fact that there is a reluctance among Indian men to use condoms. Here’s what a Hindustan Times report says about the state of affairs in our country when it comes to contraception:
Over eight years to 2016, as India’s population surged, the use of contraceptives declined almost 35%, as abortions and consumption of emergency pills – both with health hazards and side effects – doubled, according to health ministry data.
While Durex might have intended to start a conversation around safe sex, the arbitrary figure put out by it eventually led to a barrage of jokes.
Stand-up comic Biswa Kalyan Rath asked a rhetorical question.
While Indians are making #HateCondoms the latest way to vent their frustrations on these very important products, question is why do people hate condoms? https://t.co/i4CigHIfq9
— Biswa Kalyan Rath (@kalyanrath) March 5, 2018
Comments as intelligent as “Because hands don’t get pregnant” to airing their frustrations over not being able to get a girlfriend, the good people of Twitter unleashed no holds barred rants about their sex lives or the lack of it.
I #HateCondoms as they remind me of being single
— Sarkarsm ✘ (@thebakwaashour) March 5, 2018
Because hands don’t get pregnant
— Bangali_বাবু(@purno_roy) March 5, 2018
Coz #indian men feel they are too manly to wear a #condom and look at it as an hindrance to their vitality and pleasure trip. What a woman feels? Who cares! #shameonthem
— aanchal jauhari (@aanchaljauhari) March 5, 2018
Indians are way conscious with condoms and helmets. They love to ride freely
— The Dormant Guy (@thedormantguy) March 5, 2018
That explains the 1.3 Billion
— Balaji Ramachandran (@balajir2910) March 5, 2018
Because Indians believe in their pull-out game!
— Pooja Agarwal (@PoojaPooja229) March 5, 2018
Sounds like the common notion is – that without the risks – the episode wouldn’t be adventurous!
— Axhay (@AkshayRKumar) March 5, 2018
U should launch one with Saffron colour and Lotus Aroma
— Dr Rajesh Kumar Prajapati (@DrRajeshKumarP5) March 5, 2018
Hey @DurexIndia who did this survey for you and how? Don’t tell me it was done by that BJP MLA from Rajasthan who regularly counts all the used condoms in JNU campus. #HateCondoms https://t.co/lQO7Jt0ENv
— Pankaj Mishra (@pankajmishra23) March 5, 2018
I #HateCondoms because 40 rs diye condom ke or fatt bhi gaya BC 72 hours wali tablet ke 80 rs or lag gaye
— डाँ लाडले बाबा (@SonOfChoudhary) March 5, 2018
may be as a respect towards how they came into being
— tweeder (@slensesclicks) March 5, 2018
Many rightly asked Durex to reveal the source of the data put out by them.
Where did you get this statistics? What is the source?
If the survey was done by you then what was the sample size?Or is it just a marketing stunt?https://t.co/qrQg8qtob2
— Basant Rai (@rai_basant) March 5, 2018
According to this report, the recent National Family Health Survey had revealed that 95% of Indian men do not use condoms.
Last year in December, Durex had conducted a global sex survey which found out that Indians have a few strange ideas about the mystery that is sex. The participants in India were grouped on the basis of their gender, age, sexuality, relationship status and sexual activity.
These are a few things that came out of the survey:
1. Kissing means sex.
2. Masturbation is harmful to health.
3. More people now accepting of homosexuality.
4. Indians don’t like revealing their sexual orientation.
5. We are okay with paying for sex.
6. Women tolerate infidelity more than men.
Lately, Durex has been trying to drive a conversation about safe sex among the young in India. In 2016, Durex announced that it would launch an aubergine-flavoured condom. This later turned out to be a publicity stunt to raise awareness about safe sex among the younger generation. Since the eggplant is a slang for the phallus, Durex used it as a trick to draw attention of the young and ‘wild’.
A few Twitter users had quite a few interesting inputs for Durex to pull in more customers.
Maybe you should start making chicken tandoori flavour for indians #HateCondoms #LMAO
— shawn (@shawnsanqpal) March 5, 2018
Chicken Tandoori flavour, anyone?
