"With a crippled economy forcing millions of cash-strapped Americans to entertain themselves at home," said Charisse Jones in USA Today, "it's not surprising that one particular product is seeing a sales increase—condoms." A relatively inexpensive form of birth control, condoms are especially popular in tough times when struggling couples want to avoid "having more mouths to feed."
"That makes sense," said William Saletan in Slate. "Make love, not reservations." It's encouraging to think that, "when times are tough, people become increasingly rational and careful about limiting their financial commitments"—in this case, offspring. But it's troubling to think of people switching from more foolproof methods of birth control to condoms, which can lead to pregnancy with "one screw-up."
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