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 […]
President Trump attended a groundbreaking ceremony in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin earlier today for a planned Foxconn factory that has sparked controversy throughout the state. Foxconn, an electronics company known for producing Apple products, was given $3 billion in incentives by Wisconsin to build the factory. While proponents of the plant hope that it will […]
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 […]
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 Ethical Culture Fieldston School in the Bronx, NY, offers students a creative outlet through an annual fashion show. However, there’s one rule that’s an absolute game-changer: these handmade designs cannot be made of fabric! This year, Buzzfeed interviewed two girls who created their handmade designs out of Planned Parenthood stickers and condoms, and […]
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.