(crossposted at Amplify )
This summer Advocates for Youth re-launched the Great American Condom Campaign - an underground movement to distribute one million condoms on college campuses where there otherwise would be little or no condom distribution. Advocates solicited applications from college students from across the US. Each successful applicant became a “SafeSite” on his/her campus and received 500 Trojan condoms for distribution.
Applications for Fall 2008 SafeSites opened in September and by the close of the application cycle we had 1400 applicants! While it did take a bit longer than we had hoped to get condoms out the door, by the end of the day, boxes of 500 Trojan condoms were sent to 550 SafeSites on college campuses in 48 states!
Now some people may ask why this campaign is so important. Here are some quotes I pulled from applications highlighting why the GACC exists:
Does your school have a condom policy?
“Yeah - no condoms. Very religious school, still segregated dorms, men and women separate. This is a great idea, please... these will be greatly received by the folks here. This is a small town, and if you go buy condoms, its almost like the people tell people and everyone knows by the end of the next day!” SafeSite, Gardner-Web College
Are condoms available at your school?
“...the Board of Trustees requires that every condom is packaged individually in an envelope printed with a strongly-worded advertisement for abstinence. We're also struggling because, for reasons unknown, the students have decided the condoms provided on their residence halls are ineffective and of poor quality and refuse to use them.” SafeSite, Davidson College
“You must go to the health center, fill out personal information and submit before you're allowed free condoms.” SafeSite, University of West Georgia
Why do you want to be a SafeSite?
“As a young person living with HIV, I feel that I have a responsibility to my generation to do whatever I am able to do to raise awareness of and cure ignorance about HIV/AIDS.” SafeSite, Minneapolis Community and Technical College
“I have countless friends who have become unplanned mothers/fathers. Perhaps this can help others in being more careful.” SafeSite, San Francisco State University
As condoms are distributed, it is our hope that SafeSites share their distribution stories on Amplify. If you are interested in becoming a SafeSite, keep a look out here for Spring 2009 applications which should open soon!
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It is also an American condom campaign.
Thanks for the link! The applications for the new semester should be up very very soon, we'll let you know.
This makes me so happy...not that my school needs a SafeSite, because condoms are given left and right at my university.
Only sad note about it was a couple years ago in residence they stopped putting them out in the halls and you had to go ask the Don for free ones...why? Because some sicko was poking holes in the free ones placed in the halls...
It really is too bad that dental dams aren't also included in this program. There is far less awareness about dental dams, and they are much more difficult to find (in stores, let alone for free!).
[[I know the argument in favor of just giving away condoms tends to be that dental dams are quite expensive and that they can be made out of a condom; however, there are a number of problems with those arguments. While condoms can be cut to make dental dams they're actually quite a bit smaller. Non-lubricated condoms are also often hard to find in smaller stores outside of major city centres. Condoms also tend to break when stretched too much]]
It would be nice to see a program including dental dams and promoting safe oral sex for women.
That's not to say that this program isn't fantastic and important. Just a note that sometimes oral sex for women tends to be forgotten or dismissed.