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Show iuvjuu;, t-iyi 11 it, 10 ' v jWIIii. lrr a 5 ,oi "HI "nt E f AW HERE'S Py VV 1 1 COLLECTIOM OF NEW mbO I rv V I SOVIET BUG-S WWl P))) WHICH I ACQUIRE? W&Q0 4 W F THE AIDS-condom controversy: are television ads OK? Jay Evensen Contributing Writer There is a commercial in Norway that probably would offend many Americans. It starts with the word AIDS written across the screen. The letter "I" begins trying to have sex with the letter "A" but is rejected until it leaves the screen and returns inside a condom. A subtle message, but it gets the point across. However, it would be hard to imagine such an ad appearing on American television. Americans seem to have trouble facing problems related to sex, especially what they consider to be "abnormal sex." AIDS is still perceived as primarily a homosexual disease, and homosexuality is still considered something which "nice people" shouldn't be involved. But nice people are dying. The U.S. Public of Health Service estimated last year that there will be 270,000 diagnosed cases of Aquired Immune Deficiency in this country by 1991. Of those, 179,000 will have died. Many will have been heterosexuals. Those figures are considered conservative by some experts. Some of our nation's most idolized celebrities, including the macho Rock Hudson, have succumbed to AIDS. Even President Reagan, who seems to have spent much of his six years in office trying to ignore the epidemic, recently labeled the disease public enemy No. 1. One of the few generally safe ways of avoiding contact with AIDS is through the use of condoms. Yet a hue and cry can be heard across the land when it is suggested that manufacturers of condoms be allowed to advertise publicly. Such advertisements would only encourage sex outside marriage, the critics say. Instead of pushing contraceptives on kids, society should be preaching abstinence, which is after all the safest way to avoid the disease. AIDS is a lot like other problems we face in a hightech society. I was talking to a friend the other day about how growth has crippled his city's ability to provide services. Everyone saw the growth coming 10 years ago but no one made plans to prepare for it. "The thing the cities have to realize is that it's going to happen whether they plan for it or not," he said. And so it is with AIDS. No matter how much we preach abstinence from sex, couples still are going to have sex. None of Nevada's 35 legal bordellos have a "Going out of Business" sign in their windows. Prostitutes, many who have been diagnosed with AIDS, continue to do a thriving business in the streets of our cities. The virus is going to be passed on whether society plans for it or not. But condoms have been shown to successfully halt the disease and that message must be shared. The nation's unwillingness to face the problem through advertising may be responsible for many people having unsafe sex. As a child, I can remember snickering with my friends whenever we entered a gas station restroom and saw a condom dispenser on the wall. Then I spent two years in Scandinavia where I saw few people laughing at such things. There is a frankness about sex in such countries and their residents seem to treat the subject with maturity. It is up to the condom manufacturers to make sure the ads are serious and in good taste. There is nothing remotely funny or cute about AIDS. But, for the good of society, condoms advertisements must be allowed. Editor-in-Chief Linda R. Nimori Managing Editor JaNae Barlow News Editor Christopher Gamble Assistant News Editors Mark Hadley Yun Hul Pak News Specialist Susan Fishburn Sports Editor Dave Allison Assistant Sports Editor Blaine Bringhurst ArtsEntertainment Editor Tanja Schaffer Signature Editor Sheila Christensen Copy Editor Kathryn Wormsley Photo Editor Scott Miller Photographer Darwin Shaw Jeff Bybee Graphic Artists Michael Christenson Charles Kasten Staff Reporters Terry E. Allen Cheryl Gesslcr Michelle O'Driscoll Monica Ray Kathleen Roman Kathryn Ward Harold Davis Phil Douglas Katy Krandsen Sue Hiatt Steve Hord Jennifer Ingalls Kathle Roman Rod Zundel Karen Farley Advertising Manager Carter Andersen Ad Representatives Karen Leonard! Production Manager S. LeRoy Sturgeon Assistant Production Mgr Kristen Olsen Production Staff Alisa Buck Jon Lewis Mark Plumlcy Advisor P. Larry Stahle Assistant Advisor Loretta Park Secretary Jolct Olsen Publisher Randolph J. 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