Feminine Hygiene?

It's always kind of bothered me that, in stores with a pharmacy section, condoms are always kept on the same shelving unit as, say, Summer's Eve. Usually across the aisle from the tampons & sanitary napkins. In the girl section. On the shelves that remind us that we took the first bite of the apple. That hint that our ladyparts are somehow unclean unless the chemical scent of "Shower Fresh" wafts from them.

With regard to condoms, by sole virtue of placement, basically department stores & pharmacies are saying, "Hey girls, that's your responsibility". How many guys really want to go hang out amidst yeast infection medications to debate the virtues of plain ol' rubbers vs. the four-variety Pleasure Pack? (I know, I know, not all guys have issues with picking up a box of tampons for their girlfriend...but a lot do.) No, it's up to the girls to prevent the spread of veneral disease, if Wal-Mart gets their way.

Which, I'm sorry, but why? Call me crazy, but I always thought that, push come to shove, it's a dude's duty to sheath his pork sword. I take the pills; you get the rubbers. I mean, obviously, it's good to have some on hand. I guess that, really, it should be the equal responsibility of the involved parties. But damn, pharmacies don't really help out much on that whole "equality" front.

The icing on the cake (or perhaps the lube on the rubber?) is that when I rang up the box of condoms on the U-Scan, it registered on the screen & receipt as "feminine hygiene".

Indeed.