Who would have expected it from Jackson County in southern Oregon, where the conservatives can make northeast Oregon look like a liberal haven. But it’s true: Two Jackson County-sponsored television ads promoting condom use among teenagers have drawn rave reviews from community leaders and parents.

The two 30-second ads, which will air on local stations soon, promote “responsible sexuality” by using parental support to encourage condom use. About 100 clergy, media, social service workers and educators gathered Tuesday to review the ads and overwhelmingly supported them.

“I think you should play it from morning to night!” said Rosemary Harrington, who hosts a conservative radio talk show. “Have you seen what these kids watch on TV?”

She’s right that there are lots of sex, violence, dumb ads and suggestive shows on TV that arguably promote promiscuity and careless sex. It’s to the point that a responsible condom ad could be viewed as welcome relief.

One ad features the words, “We care about you. Protect yourself. Love, Mom and Dad,” with some of the “O’s” replaced by unwrapped condoms.

In the other ad, two teenagers are shown in the throes of passion. The boy says, “I want this moment to last forever.” The girl opens an envelope that reads “Love, Mom and Dad,” and takes out a condom. “I don’t,” she tells him.

The ads were co-sponsored by the local Planned Parenthood affiliate and Jackson County health officials. Promoters were inspired by European media campaigns, which have dramatically reduced risky sexual behavior in France and Germany.

As always, there will be those who equate the promotion of condom use with the promotion of sexual promiscuity, even though there are now studies that show the opposite may be true. Regardless, condom ads and the promotion of “safe sex” is critical to safeguarding the teens who do choose to be sexually active.

As for traditional values, the highest value of all should be truth. These condom public service commercials and others like them bring some much-needed honesty to the public discussion of sex, teen pregnancy, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

That honesty should include stressing that condoms are not the best answer to the AIDS crisis or teen pregnancy. Abstinence, or monogamy with a disease-free companion, are the only sure protections. But condoms are a vital ingredient in the formula for preventing sexually-transmitted diseases and reducing unwanted pregnancies.

Because the fact is, many teenagers – whether we like it or not and despite the advice of parents and friends, and maybe because of the lack of adult advice and example – will have sex before marriage. For these folks, television might be the most effective way to drill the message that condoms can prevent disease and pregnancy.

Such messages might even save a few lives, and at the very least they are a relatively inexpensive way to promote behavior that reduces the high public cost of sexual diseases and children having babies.