There are many innovative ways to make condom usage more appealing. Exotic flavors, ultra-thin latex, and textured condoms “ribbed for pleasure” all make condoms more exciting.

However, their rate of usage remains inconsistent.

Launching the Condom Design Contest

Faced with this challenge, Say It With A Condom partnered with Frannie Peabody Center to help make condoms more fun.

Frannie Peabody Center, a nonprofit in Portland, Maine, invited a class of students at the Maine College of Art to design condom packaging that raises awareness of testing and prevention on World AIDS Day.

Donna Galluzzo, the Executive Director of Frannie Peabody Center, sees World AIDS Day as an occasion to honor those lost during the AIDS crisis while raising awareness for modern prevention methods.

Creating the Condom Designs

For the graphic design class, this was an opportunity to gain real-world design experience. “This class treated us, Frannie Peabody Center, as their client,” says Galluzzo, “It’s a very real-world experience for them. We all meet together, they interview us, and they talk about what we are looking for.”

The more visually interesting a condom package, the more likely someone will pick it up to find out what it is. Frannie Peabody Center understood this, so they instructed the design students to combine positive messaging with unique patterns and colors.

After giving the class direction at the beginning of the fall semester, they had a mid-semester meeting to present their drafts and receive constructive feedback. This feedback culminated in the students’ final designs.

“We wanted the designs to be attractive and colorful, but they also had to spread the right message, respect our clients, and appeal to a large variety of groups,” Galluzzo notes, “That was a very fine line to walk, but I think the folks at Say It With A Condom really understood that. The class really got it as well, the designs all had something unique about them but they were all very respectful.”

Rocking the Vote

Once the entries were submitted, Say It With A Condom developed an online voting platform that allowed the community to vote on their favorite design. Not only did Frannie Peabody Center send people to vote online, they also went to events throughout Portland to conduct in-person voting sessions.

“It was really fun to engage the public,” says Galluzzo, “people of course were picking up the condoms and reading the messages. We got to hear what their thoughts were in real time. Some thought it was all about the style, while others thought it was more about the positive messaging. We even got to see parents explaining condoms to their kids right in the moment, so it was definitely quite the engagement!”

In total, over 850 votes were cast. The competition was close, but Hayden Jones’s “Every Connection Counts” design won!

Who Was Frannie Peabody?

Frannie Peabody, the namesake of her eponymous nonprofit, began her work as an activist at the age of eighty following her grandson’s AIDS diagnosis. “I wish that I had met Frannie,” says Galluzzo, “every time I talk to someone who did know her, she becomes a larger than life figure.”

Following the death of her grandson, she became involved in visiting support groups to meet with others who lost friends and loved ones during during the AIDS crisis. “She became an incredibly staunch advocate for people living with HIV and AIDS in the state of Maine,” Galluzzo says, “she went on a longstanding community campaign to raise awareness, to engage her personal community, to give, and to help.”

Asked what Frannie Peabody would have thought of the contest, Galluzzo says that “I’m sure she would have loved it.”

Visit Frannie Peabody Center’s Website, Facebook, and Instagram

Email contest@sayitwithacondom.com to Launch Your Own Condom Design Contest!

The post Frannie Peabody Center Hosts Condom Design Contest appeared first on Say It With A Condom.

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.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has an amazing organization on campus called ‘Sex Out Loud‘ This organization is meant to promote sexual education in an open, healthy way. The organization provides students with the proper education and tools necessary to make smart decisions. The organization also has many programs all over campus, and stays really involved with the student body. Say It With A Condom was able to partner with The University of Wisconsin-Madison. The University started a contest on campus to allow students to create their own condom designs centered around consent. They did a great job, and we’re so happy to have worked with such a wonderful student body. #consentissexy

Tufts University wants to ensure that all of their students have the proper education needed to make healthy life decisions. They wanted to spread pro-consent messages throughout campus, so Tufts University partnered with Say It With A Condom to modify one of our pre-designed Consent Condoms. They are able to hand condoms out on campus while also delivering an important message. Tufts believes in spreading awareness, having proper resources, and education. Keep up the great work Tufts! We can’t wait to see what we can do together in the future.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has a very diverse campus with lots of opportunities. They have a large variety of clubs and extracurriculars to keep  students engaged beyond the classroom setting. They started an organization in 1965 that is knows as the Campus Events Commission. This organization was actually able to partner up with Say It With A Condom, and together we designed condoms to allow the Campus Events Commission to spread awareness for their events. They wanted to promote the activities and entertainment they provide on campus, and what better way to do so than with a custom condom?!

California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is a public university located in a neighborhood of Los Angeles. The university provides students with the opportunity to engage in many extracurricular activities. The CSUN Young Democrats were able to go above and beyond by partnering with Say It With A Condom. Together, we raised awareness about the events that they hold on campus. These efforts were successful, and they have ordered custom condoms from us several times over the past few years. It’s great to see young students making a real difference by starting a conversation and raising awareness about activities that they are passionate about. Keep up the awesome work CSUN!

It’s wonderful to see that these custom condoms are being used for all types of important causes all over the nation. We can’t wait to further our work with these amazing universities, and we wish them all the best of luck during this upcoming school year!

The post Back To School: College Spotlights Part 2 appeared first on Say It With A Condom.

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 balance her college career at Spelman College while also being a Summer Research Intern for Break The Cycle, an Ambassador for No More, and a Student Advisory Committee Member for It’s On Us. She, along with other youth activists, met with the Biden Foundation earlier this month in an attempt to combat gender-based violence. Learn more about what motivates Venkayla here.

Twitter I Linkedin

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Break The Cycle

Break The Cycle is a national not-for-profit organization and its main aim is to provide youth (ages 12-24) with dating abuse programs. The idea behind this campaign is to support the youth in building healthy, lasting relationships. Break The Cycle wants to create a culture without abuse and volunteers and partners alike advocate for this important cause in classroom settings, within the courtroom, and even in Congress!

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NO MORE

No More is another leading organization that aims to end domestic violence and sexual assault. The idea behind this campaign is to raise more awareness on the issue and increase bystander intervention. Organizations and individual advocates all over the nation have partnered up with No More to join the fight against domestic violence and sexual assault. This organization also conducts research to better gauge how to go about achieving the overall goals of this campaign!

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It’s On Us

It’s On Us is a national campaign designed to end sexual assault. The campaign is designed to engage community leaders, parents, teachers, and students on campuses all over the country to take the It’s On Us pledge. Supporters are able to advocate for ending sexual assault, and survivors of sexual assault are given a safe place to overcome their demons. It’s On Us also focuses on consent and bystander education, two very important topics that people need to be educated on for sexual assault rates to decrease. It’s On Us is a powerful movement that lets people start a conversation about a controversial topics such as sexual assault!  

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The youth is our future, and it is incredible to see young folks just like Venkayla Haynes taking charge and letting their voices be heard. If she can do it, so can you! It’s as easy as bringing these organizations and their messages to your campus or community. Become an advocate and join the fight against sexual assault today!

The post Combating Sexual Assault With Youth Activist Venkayla Haynes appeared first on Say It With A Condom.

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 community a home and a voice. Hudson Pride Connections Center has made some major changes to Hudson County, so read on to learn a bit more about what they do!

Elizabeth Schedl

Condoms Designed by Say It With A Condom

What types of services does the Hudson Pride Connections Center offer?

“We offer so much, but some of our most popular services are peer led social support groups, public events such as the youth prom and holiday dinners, drug and alcohol preventative services and workshops, residential housing, and HIV and PrEP services.”

We can see why so many people consider the Hudson Pride Connections Center a second home.

Luckily enough, this center also has a very good relationship with the police department. The police department offers their time and services at no cost to accompany employees when they do their ‘Ryan White’ HIV late night outreach program. “We’re lucky to have such a good relationship with the police. It makes us feel more safe when we’re doing our work, and considering many of our clients are from the inner-city, they feel a lot more comfortable too. They feel as if they are being accepted.”

How did you get started in this line of work?

“It’s something i’ve been interested in for quite a long time. I actually started the first ever LGBT organization on my college campus, and it received major support. We ended up winning an ‘organization of the year’ award within the first year. Then I worked for the Victory Fund in D.C. before moving back to Jersey. I’ve been working at the Hudson Pride Connections Center since then, and I’ve worked my way up to where I am now.”

It’s great to see that the employees at this center have a comprehensive background and are really devoted to their work.

What have been some major obstacles your organization has faced?

“Thankfully, Hudson County is very accepting of the LGBT community. However, it is very frustrating to see that there are still people out there today that will not acknowledge this community, or do not even know that they exist.”

We agree Elizabeth, especially with technology being at our fingertips every second of the way. Google.com is a beautiful thing.

How did your partnership with Say It With A Condom help enhance the delivery of your message?

“People love the PrEP condoms created by Say It With A Condom. They’re very informative, and I think it’s extremely important that people are being handed a direct solution to some of these issues we’re trying to combat.”

We’re happy to hear that our PrEP condoms are raising awareness and starting important conversations.

What do you hope to see happen in the future?

“I would love to see more awareness regarding PrEP. It is fairly new, but not new enough that people shouldn’t know what it is. People need to get educated and know their options.” Elizabeth also talked about how topics such as bullying and HIV need more attention.

“People still have a 1980’s understanding of HIV, but we’ve come so far since then.”

We cannot wait to see what new campaigns we can launch with the Hudson Pride Connections Center and other LGBT organizations in the future. Stay protected, and Say It With A Condom!

The post Say It With A Condom & Hudson Pride Connections Center On PrEP appeared first on Say It With A Condom.

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 at least once. Here’s a list of some of our favorite bars all over Miami!

Abbey Brewing Company

This is THE spot for all the beer lovers out there. Abbey Brewing Company is the oldest and only brew-pub on Miami Beach. Because of its convenient location, it’s the perfect spot to hangout before making your way down to the club scene in South Beach. When you’re there, don’t forget to try one of their four house beers. And make sure you indulge in one of their many quality cigars to get the true Miami experience.

1115 16th Street

Miami Beach, FL 33139

(305) 538-8110

Above Mayfair

Mayfair Hotel & Spa is known for its relaxing atmosphere, exceptional service, and the extravagant Above Mayfair Pool Lounge. This rooftop bar and lounge provides breathtaking views of both the Miami Skyline and Biscayne Bay, but the opportune location in Coconut Grove still allows guests to step away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Rent out a private cabana, grab a signature drink, and take everything that South Florida has to offer.

3000 Florida Avenue

Coconut Grove, FL 33133

(305) 441-0000

Area 31

Area 31, located at the EPIC hotel, is the ideal happy hour location. With outdoor seating, beautiful views of Brickell, and an expansive menu, this great location will not disappoint. You may be surprised to learn that the food and drinks both contain fresh ingredients from the on-site herb garden, and this just goes to show the quality of this terrace lounge.

270 Biscayne Boulevard Way

Miami, FL 33131

(305) 424-5234

Ball & Chain

Experience the rich Cuban culture that Miami has to offer at this historic bar and lounge. Start your day off exploring Little Havana before making your way to the bar. The famous street, Calle Ocho, offers everything from local cuban cuisine to artisanal ice cream and cigar shops. Ball & Chain always has great entertainment such as karaoke, salsa night, and great happy hours that you should look up before heading over, and you may also want to read up on the fascinating history behind this local landmark before you head over.

1513 SW 8th Street

Little Havana, FL 33135

(305) 643-7820

El Patio

One of the best parts of Miami is being able to immerse yourself in different cultures and El Patio in Wynwood allows you to do just that. Enjoy the unique décor, handcrafted beers and cocktails, and the exceptional Latin music bumping in the back. If it’s a Saturday, you can even stop by the famous Wynwood Art Walk located at the Wynwood Walls before heading over!

167 NW 23rd St

Miami, FL 33127

(786) 409-2241

Lagniappe House

Conveniently located between Wynwood, Midtown and The Design District, Lagniappe House is the perfect place to kick back and relax after a long day of work. This place is an absolute must for all the wine enthusiasts out there. Buy a glass (or bottle), a cheese platter, and enjoy the daily live music at this unique New Orleans-style restaurant.

3425 NE 2nd Ave

Miami, FL 33137

(305) 576-0108

Lost Weekend Miami

Sports bar?! Count me in. Lost Weekend has enough entertainment to keep you going all night. Whether you want to play pool on one of the five tables available, tune into ESPN, or play some throwbacks on the jukebox and dance around, this is the place to be. This bar even allows the inner child in you to come out with video games, Foosball tables, and a chalkboard bar top and colorful chalks. Grab a beer, order some bar food, and start your weekend off the right way at Lost Weekend!

218 Española Way

Miami Beach, FL 33139

(305) 672-1707

Sugar at EAST, Miami

Sugar is a rooftop bar and garden located on the 40th floor of EAST, Miami, a hotel situated at Brickell City Centre. This location provides expansive views of the downtown Miami skyline so it’s the perfect place to grab a cocktail and watch the sunset. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the delicious food menu while you’re there!

788 Brickell Plaza, 40th Floor

Miami, FL 33131

(305) 532-5650

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Florida International University, located in Miami, FL, does an excellent job at promoting healthy living and safe sexual practices both on and off campus. The university runs a variety of campaigns that involve different departments within the university. We were able to talk to two influential figures at FIU: Wendy Ordóñez, the outreach coordinator for ‘The Victim Empowerment Program’ and Sofia Fernandez, the project coordinator that works to promote safe and healthy practices within the greater Miami community.

How does FIU promote sexual health and awareness on its campus?

Wendy: “FIU is extremely proactive when it comes to providing students with the tools necessary to combat any issues they may face regarding sexual health. We have multiple departments that work together to strategize and create effective campaigns on campus. The program I work with deals with consent and issues related to alcohol use.”

Sofia: “The department I am in works very closely with the health clinic to provide free HIV and STD testing for students. We also work with different student run organizations in an attempt to create a partnership and a connection with our students. Because we are a locally and federally funded project, another cool thing we get to do is community outreach. We are actually able to work with the local middle and high schools to give them the information necessary to make responsible, mature decisions when it comes to their health.”

What sorts of strategies do you use to engage the students on campus?

Wendy: “We like to use a variety of approaches to tackle our mission. We give out about 100 presentations a year on consent and responsible alcohol use as part of our ‘freshman experience’ program. We also have many tabling events throughout the year where we give away free gifts and prizes. Something that has been very effective for us is doing talks in the elevator. This way, we can catch students as they’re going about their day. One of our favorite events of the year is our sex carnival, and everyone seems to enjoy it because it’s fun for the students but also creative and interactive on our end.”

Sofia: “Since we are able to partner up with student organizations, we are able to go to their meetings and give presentations. We have also done so in classrooms and at our dorms. Since we have lots of opportunities, and we are not just based on campus, we have unique opportunities such as horse therapy, or the mindfulness project. We have been thinking of innovative ways to allow our students to cope with any issue that may arise. Also, we actively promote free HIV and STD testing on campus every Monday and Wednesday. We also have a weekly outreach program on campus with the health clinic where we are able to go and hand out information.”

How did you get started in this line of work?

Wendy: “In 2004, I was a freshman at FIU and sat in on a program about consent and responsible alcohol use. The talk really sunk in and I became really interested in the topic, but I was studying graphic design at the time so I did not know how to incorporate the two. However, after entering the workforce, I saw that I could use my creative mind to create campaigns that resonate with students, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”

Sofia: “I have always been interested in this type of work. I studied social work at Florida State University and got my masters degree. I then decided to enroll in the doctoral program for social welfare at FIU, and I am currently working towards that goal. I was also lucky enough to be able to come on board as a project coordinator at FIU. I’m able to further my education while also working and helping the youth at FIU and the community around us.”

How has creativity helped enhance the message behind your campaigns?

Wendy: “Being a graphic designer, I think creativity is important in almost everything. People get tired of seeing the same, boring messages again. That’s why I created a mascot for the project I’m working on. ‘Kiwi the Alien’ is a mascot that everyone on the FIU campus knows and loves. He is just as popular as our school mascot now, and the idea behind him is to create a fun way to spread health messages in a way that students will remember. And who won’t remember a giant green alien?”

Sofia: “After seeing how successful Kiwi was, Wendy has helped me create ‘Cody the Camel’, a mascot that is now used for my specific project. FIU has a lot of different organization, programs, and events, but these mascots allow students, faculty, and staff to remember us and the work that we’re doing.”

                      ‘Cody The Camel’                                                      ‘Kiwi The Alien’

How has partnering with Say It With A Condom enhanced the delivery of your message?

Wendy: “It’s given us a creative outlet to talk about controversial, sensitive topics. Humor works wonders, and Say It With A Condom has allowed us to use that to talk about issues like consent or alcohol related incidents in a fun and approachable way. The ‘You Mustache For My Consent” condoms made the students laugh but also allowed us to send out our message. It was a win-win situation, and we really are starting effective conversations with condoms.”

Sofia: “After seeing how Say It With A Condom has positively influenced Wendy’s campaign, we decided it would greatly benefit us as well. We’re currently in the process of creating our own campaigns to start conversations with condoms, and we’re excited to see our partnership benefit my department as well.”

We can’t wait to work with you guys more either! Keep doing what you’re doing and accomplishing great things at FIU. Thanks so much Wendy and Sofia, we’re excited to see what you both accomplish next.

The post Say It With A Condom Partners With FIU’s ‘Cody The Camel’ and ‘Kiwi The Alien’ appeared first on Say It With A Condom.

For the past six months, outdoor show operators, hunting clubs, and notorious trophy hunters, including Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who have been spotted bagging African leopards, water buffalos, and elephants in Zimbabwe, have received packs of complimentary Huntsman Condoms.

PETA decided it was time to mess with these bored, recreational hunters. So, along with Say It With A Condom, they secretly developed, marketed and distributed a brand of condoms especially for hunters. The brand was called Huntsman and its real purpose was to encourage hunters to stop reproducing.

Because it’s a fact that hunting is passed on from generation to generation, PETA successfully marketed Huntsman to the global hunting community and they didn’t suspect a thing. Now the world is having a good laugh at your expense.

The post PETA Huntsman Condoms Go Viral appeared first on Say It With A Condom.

The wrappers stamped with a popular design symbolizing the phrase “Choose the Right” were a limited run intended to spark open conversation about sexual health, Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Katrina Barker said.

But an image of the prophylactics posted on their Facebook page generated controversy among people who disapproved of using a shield logo very similar to popular rings worn by Mormon children and teenagers.

Read the full article here.

The post Utah Planned Parenthood scraps condoms with Mormon symbol appeared first on Say It With A Condom.

The seminary is affiliated with the United Church of Christ, a liberal and LGBT-inclusive denomination, and hosts an LGBTQ Religious Studies Center.

The latex condoms come wrapped in packaging that shows a rainbow-colored version of the church’s logo and the slogan “Take Two (for the second coming!).” Faculty and students handed out the condoms at Chicago’s LGBT Pride parade, at the church synod’s Pride Day, and a Christian music festival in North Carolina.

Read the full article here.

The post Christian Seminary’s ‘Second Coming’ Condoms Arouse Anger appeared first on Say It With A Condom.

Read full article here.

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