The original post was about a man who whined after an announcement on International Women's Day that girls would obtain free menstruation products at school and his response was, "What do boys get?" Alan mentioned consent education and condoms. I remember, from my school days, learning about rape from a male and female perspective. I remember our teacher telling us about a woman who initially agreed to sex, but when she found out that it was going to be without a condom, she refused, and she was raped.

As Alan mentioned condoms and consent education, I thought, "No, consent education should take precedence over condoms." Condoms can help prevent STIs and unwanted pregnancies (that's why I also learnt that the contraceptive pill will help prevent unwanted pregnancies but it will not protect against STIs). Sex with or without a condom that is non-consensual is still rape.

I remember the teacher telling us that they urge rape victims to go as they are to report a rape, so that their clothes can be tested for forensics, and they take scrapings looking for skin, blood or seminal fluid.

I remember the teacher also telling us about how a man was convicted of rape because he was in the middle of consensual intercourse with a woman, but she changed her mind. He thought she was only joking and proceeded, and he was charged with rape.

Every rape case is different, and there have been cases where a rapist has used protection. (I don't know the specifics of the case above, but I know there have been cases of rape where protection has been used).

My point is, condoms help prevent STIs and unwanted pregnancies, but CONSENT is something that needs to be drummed into all boys, and that NO MEANS NO, whether you have started to penetrate or not! AND, another thing that the man who whined about what boys get NEEDS to remember something else. And that is, males need condoms for sex, females need sanitary pads for around a week while on the bleeding part of their cycle. So rather than that man whining about what boys may or may not get, why not applaud the initiative of sanitary pads being available for free to schoolgirls?