What makes a condom stand out from the crowd? 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 […]
The ubiquity of social media has created duality in health promotion. Raising awareness through traditional tabling methods remains crucial, but no campaign is complete without a visible online presence. Social media allows healthcare providers to overcome barriers in disseminating information to patients, and can also drive patient uptake for organizations like Fenway Health. Fenway Health […]
Throughout recent American history, those who suffer from addiction have been systematically imprisoned without receiving medical intervention. With no access to treatment, stable housing, or career opportunities, these individuals often find themselves in an ongoing cycle of abuse without the resources to begin recovery. While the United States spends upwards of $74 billion on “incarceration, court […]
Whitney Bell, a feminist polymath with a distinguished presence on social media, uses her platform to spread conscious messaging that concerns gender equality, consent, and the de-stigmatization of family planning. You may remember Whitney from a number of her widely-publicized events; from challenging the defunding of Planned Parenthood by live-streaming her IUD insertion to participating […]
With six locations, the Los Angeles LGBT Center is the largest of its kind throughout the world. The Center provides health, social, and educational services to over 42,000 individuals each month. Say It With A Condom had the opportunity to interview Brett Holland, the head of the West Hollywood gay men’s wellness program. Holland started […]
Spearheaded by Belle Ursa, an HIV Prevention Education Coordinator, the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland uses an arsenal of 10,000 custom condoms to spread knowledge of not only safe sex, but also the benefits of using PrEP. The idea was to introduce the drug to the community, which if taken daily, can reduce one’s […]
Sexual health is an important aspect of general well-being. Whether it’s getting tested, getting consent, or having a healthy sex life, all of these are just as essential to living a well balanced life along with exercising, good nutrition, and having a healthy social life. Caleb Gustin has a strong passion for sexual health and they […]
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 […]
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.
Every year during Valentine’s Day week, organizations across the country from Planned Parenthood to Advocates for Youth celebrate National Condom Week. This week long event got it’s start at the University of California, Berkley in the 1970’s and has now expanded nationwide to promote safer sex. Why promote safer sex? Well, as Emma McGowan wrote […]