Thong underwear for males back-number been compared to an athletic supporter as they both provide support while using a minimum of fabric, though the typical athletic supporter is not a thong as the straps at the aft are not at the garment's center.
Several institutions have banned thongs, mainly schools and universities. In one particular case in 2002, a female elevated school vice principal in San Diego physically checked up to 100 female students' underwear as they entered the school for a dance, with or without student permission, causing an uproar among students and some parents and eliciting an investigation by the school into the vice principal's conduct. In her defense, the vice principal said the checks were for student lap belt and not specifically because of the Sexy Thongs wearing of thongs ("This was a safety issue, it was not a choice of underwear issue").