Designing the Message for More Impact With a focus on starting a conversation about PrEP geared towards heterosexual women of color, Mégane Simões, Brand and Marketing Associate at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. (PPMW), was looking for lubricant with credible product packaging to spread awareness and information about PrEP. She found exactly what she […]
Happy October. Do you guys know what that means? It means it’s national breast cancer awareness month! What is breast cancer? It’s a malignant tumor, and it starts in breast cells. Unfortunately, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. This is why it is so important for people to get educated on how […]
In this day and age, there are a plethora of resources out there for women’s rights. However, it is not a topic that is talked about nearly as much as it should. Here at Say It With A Condom, we’ve done our research and we know that people need to start important conversations and get […]
We’re back with our second ‘back to school’ edition article! Keep reading to learn more about how condoms have been implemented on college campuses all over the country to effectively raise awareness and spread important messages! This time we’ll be talking about the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Tufts University, UCLA, and California State University Northridge. […]
With back to school season right around the corner, we couldn’t think of a better person to recognize than youth sexual assault activist, Venkayla Haynes. With the world (google.com) at our fingertips, we’ve been able to learn all about the amazing campaigns Venkayla has been contributing to. We’re especially impressed that this dedicated individual can […]
Elizabeth Schedl is the Deputy Director of the Hudson Pride Connections Center located in Jersey City, New Jersey. Her organization partnered with Say It With A Condom to spread awareness on PrEP as part of their preventative service program. The Hudson Pride Connections Center caters to the LGBT community within Hudson County, and gives this […]
Miami, Florida is a world-famous location that offers everything from beautiful beaches to immaculate skyscrapers to extraordinary nightlife. Now everyone knows the big-name clubs such as Liv and Story, but tourists and natives alike sometimes forget the diverse culture that surrounds Miami, and with that comes a unique bar scene that everyone needs to experience […]
Maralis Mercado, MPH, is the program coordinator for health and wellness at Duke University. Duke partnered with Say It With A Condom to create a unique campaign that easily allows students to start a conversation surrounding sexual health and well-being. What she had to say about the impact the campaign had was remarkable and a […]
The HIV/AIDS prevention landscape has changed dramatically over the last few years. The Mount Sinai Institute for Advanced Medicine teamed with Say It With A Condom to deliver an effective and different awareness campaign using custom condoms to grab attention in a truly dynamic way.
By using custom printed foil condoms to advocate for PrEP and PEP education, it is putting information directly into the hands of the people who need to be aware of it most. That is exactly what Mount Sinai is trying to do and with Say It With A Condom they have a partner in the battle. (more…)
Culture of Care is a student-led, staff-supported initiative at Indiana University, designed to foster Hoosier-to-Hoosier care in the areas of sexual well-being, drug and alcohol awareness, mental health and respect. Culture of Care is not about meetings, talks or events, it’s about spreading compassion and promoting a culture of awareness and courage. It’s about redefining what it means to be a “Hoosier.”
Say It With A Condom is proud to be part of the Culture of Care campaign which began in the spring of 2012 as a one-week outreach initiative and is now a year-long effort to raise awareness in the aforementioned focus areas, and to encourage bystander intervention. Thanks to eye-catching advocacy tools, such as condom packaging with strategic messaging, the initiative is going strong. It is attracting both new and established students, encouraging them to take personal pride in the emotional and physical safety of their school and the student body.
Emmalee Fishburn, the Assistant Director for Bystander Intervention and Sexual Assault Prevention within the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, has stated that 32,600 students have been directly impacted or reached (not accounting for social media or Big Ten Network impact). Her department chose Say It With A Condom because the company provided the best branded condoms with “spot on” messaging and exemplary client service. Previous partners included major universities and nonprofit organizations, marking the company as both trusted and reputable. Repeat data analysis has shown that students are benefiting from the campaign as they request additional information and condoms.
Emmalee voiced her approval, saying condoms are an integral part of the collective Culture of Care campaign as they break down barriers of safe sexual awareness. She went on to say that she would whole-heartedly advise other colleges to use condoms to promote consent and sexual health. Students are having sex, why not give them the tools for a healthy experience. She used three strong words to describe her experience with Say It With A Condom: Attentive, Efficient, Intentional.
Just a few short weeks after placing a massive custom product order from Say It With A Condom, they came back and ordered again, stating that the condoms connect with the students in ways other promotional products did not. At tabling events all year long, they handed out pens, stickers, water bottles, journals, and other relevant promotional pieces, but the custom Culture of Care condoms garnered the most attention and none were to be found after the event.
Culture of Care informs students of the services available to them on campus and trains them in bystander intervention through the Step UP! IU program, which walks students through real-life-inspired scenarios to prepare them to intervene – not just a passive witness – when they see someone in need. Each student has or knows someone who has experienced something related to our focus areas, and we encourage students to connect with one another and to work together to combat these serious campus issues. There is no better way to promote real-life scenarios than with real-life tools such as a condom.
By providing students with the appropriate tools to organically and proactively spread the message, it arms the entire student body with the weapons they need to fight the good fight of awareness. More than proponents of safe sex, condoms not only provide a powerful message, they are a shareable tool in times of need. Friends give friends condoms. This is a good thing. The message on the package should reflect a responsible message and empower the user.
Culture of Care’s strength lies in its collaborative approach to culture change. In order to continue making an impact on students’ lives, those behind the initiative believe that support from all levels of IU campuses – administration, staff, faculty, student leaders, and students – is essential to creating a Culture of Care. Say It With A Condom is dedicated to continually assist Indiana University and the Culture of Care promote bystander intervention through four focus areas: Respect, Sexual Well-Being, Mental Health, and Drugs and Alcohol.