We want to give away as many condoms as people will use because we're trying to make New York City an even safer place to have sex, and this is a powerful way to do it.
That's how Monica Sweeney, the NYC Health Department's assistant commissioner for HIV prevention and control explains NYC's new campaign to promote condom usage and safer sex among New Yorkers.
The campaign includes street teams that roamed Times Square, Wall Street and the City Hall area on Valentine's handing out condoms left and right. Coming up will be an advertising campaign utilizing radio, television and bus ads.
Since the City redesign the packaging of its condoms it has double the average number of condoms given out to 3 million a month.
Of course, the anti-sex fundies have their panties in a bunch. Says Robert Peters, president of Morality in Media
Instead of targeting specific populations known to engage in promiscuous sex, the NYC Department of Health now targets all 'New Yorkers,' including children and adults whose religion teaches them that use of condoms is sinful, with the message, 'Get Some' NYC Condoms and, presumably, use and enjoy them while engaging in promiscuous sex. To the extent that the campaign is aimed at married couples, it is not only pro-promiscuity but also anti-children.
Yawn.
Kudos to NYC for taking a bold and realistic approach to promoting condom use in a sex-positive and accessible way.
Comment on this entry
Yawn indeed. Do these people realize how unoriginal they are? I want some new fundies around.
I just had an interesting conversation with a French man about safer sex. They're doing a better job out here getting the message out, from what I've seen, but they still aren't perfect. There's still so much barebacking going on, so many people taking risks without knowing what they're getting into and so many people just not caring. And it's all pretty close to home and it left me feeling so mortal and hopeless that I just couldn't even talk anymore. It's like all affection and closeness and intimacy has been tainted, and condoms aren't a complete solution, and nothing really is and there isn't any control over anything and it's all pretty overwhelming.
Ok, I think I violated the "turn it into a post" rule and I'll prolly do that one day. But I hope NYC's program does some people some good.
Alex Blaze | February 20, 2008 7:00 PM
Ah, yes. We should all assist people who think protecting themselves from STDs is sinful. Shouldn't we just let them die? Natural selection and whatnot?
Bil Browning | February 21, 2008 8:24 AM
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