
Last Christmas, my awesome little sister handed out cards with condoms featuring warming lube on them inside. She wrote the same thing in each one: “Have a warm, safe holiday.”
Now, I’m married and on my own birth control, so I had no real use for her ingenious, delightful little gift. Sure, I could have blown them up and hung them on the Christmas tree, but that might have posed as a fire hazard. Instead, I gave them to a friend who would get good use out of them—and isn’t that what we should all do with our extra condoms? A friend in need—and that includes in need for a bit of protection—is a friend, indeed.
If you’re a fellow fan of giving out free rubber, you might want to take part in this year’s Great American Condom Campaign. Sponsored by Advocates for Youth, it’s a grassroots movement created to help stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies among youth. To do this, it establishes “SafeSites” on college and university campuses across the country. These are places where students can get free condoms and safe sex education from a fellow student peer.
That’s where you come in. You can apply to be the said student peer educator and distributor here. As a SafeSite, you can establish a location on campus where students can come without fear or embarrassment for information and condoms.
As a SafeSite, you will receive a box of 500 Trojan condoms to distribute as needed, as well as be expected to educate your peers about safe sex and advocate the reproductive health rights of young adults. The Advocates for Youth website also has a list of Frequently Asked Questions, videos, and examples to help get you started on becoming a SafeSite and educating your peers. You can also get your friends, the campus clinic or other organizations involved. The more volunteers and people helping out, the better!
Campuses with no condom access (or limited access) are given top priority, so keep that in mind when you apply. Also be sure to note whether or not you were a SafeSite before. The application for the fall semester program will be open until September 27. The goal is to get the SafeSites all chosen and prepared by mid-October.
You can also spread the word about the campaign by becoming a fan of The Great American Condom Campaign on Facebook.
