What are fun, spontaneous, and intimate? Students. Photobooths. Condoms.

This was the inspiration for our Great American Condom Campaign condom distribution on campus. Invite students to use a complementary photobooth on the last day of class while distributing condoms for their work-hard-play-hard exam period and the summer when they might be away from campus sexual health resources.

Check out some of our advertisements:

We'll keep you posted about how the event goes!

 

Me walking around the dorms handing out condoms.

This past week, the Texas Freedom Network Student Chapter at the University of Texas at Brownsville celebrated Valentine’s Day with a petition drive (these are always fun), condom goodie bags, candy, and cupcakes! Bam! On a separate note, the condoms were graciously provided by the Great American Condom Campaign!

All in all, there were mixed feelings among the students. For example, a student was passing by our table and I asked him, “Would you like some condoms?” He stopped, looked at me with a confused face, and asked me, “Are you okay?” He could not believe someone was giving condoms away on campus. Honestly, I was a little upset but I calmly responded, “Yes.” I began to tell him about the petition and surprisingly he signed it but I think he was still a little dazed. We found that the majority of students who gave us the ugliest looks when reading our FREE CONDOMS sign were females.
However, we did have few students sign the petition and take condoms. Also, I had the opportunity to speak to people about the negative effects abstinence only programs have on adolescents. Many were surprised and astonished when they heard the statistics of teenage pregnancy in Texas.
For me, it is always surprising to learn that many people here in the Valley are unaware of the severity of the situation (teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and diseases) or are extremely close minded. I would like to think that people would want to make a change and I am more than sure that they do but they need to get past that culture barrier. Since Brownsville (like many other borderland cities) is literally right next to Mexico, we retain two cultures, the Mexican culture and the American culture. Usually, the Mexican culture dominates. Evidently, the Mexican culture tends to have disapproving views on premarital sex and contraceptive use, just like the Catholic Church (as we have seen recently in the news…). We must get past this point and look at the bigger picture. We clearly have a serious issue in which we must address correctly. Too many of our adolescents are becoming pregnant or acquiring a sexually transmitted disease and this leads to further obstacles. We need progress. Change is not always bad.

February 14 to 21, 2012 is National Condom Week!

Make a donation of $25 or more to Advocates for Youth this week, and we'll send you our new Great American Condom Campaign t-shirt!

The Great American Condom Campaign (GACC) is a youth-led grassroots movement to make the United States a sexually healthy nation.

Each year, Advocates provides more than one million Trojan brand condoms to students who serve as "SafeSites" on college and university campuses across the country. The students distribute condoms, educate their peers about sexual and reproductive health issues, and organize to improve policies that affect young people's health and well-being.

Last year alone, the GACC reached young people at 1,108 public and private universities, trade schools, military schools, religious institutions, and community colleges — many of which have little to no condom access — in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

With your contribution of $25 or more today, we can help educate and empower even more people to make safe, healthy choices.

Did you know that every year in the U.S., there are 19 million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs), with young people ages 15-24 accounting for almost half of them?

That's why programs like the GACC, which encourages young people to "use a condom every time" — while giving them the tools to do so — are so critical!

Donate by February 21st to receive your complimentary GACC t-shirt. You can indicate your t-shirt size (S, M, L, or XL) in the "Comments" section when making your gift.

Thank you for doing your part to support National Condom Week!

One last note — please allow 6-8 weeks for the delivery of your t-shirt. If want to contribute but do not want a t-shirt, please indicate "no t-shirt" in the "Comments" section when making your gift.

You did it!

After months of constant activity by grassroots activists across the country asking President Obama to hold the line in the face of pressure from social conservatives, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that it would not expand religious exemptions to no-copay birth control requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

Because of your work mobilizing on this issue, President Obama and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius decided to stand with young people and did not bow to political pressure. This decision is a victory for science, common sense, and young people in America — and it couldn't have happened without you.

Millions of young women at Catholic and religious affiliated colleges will no longer face barriers to accessing birth control through their student health plans. This decision is also a huge step forward for young people who receive insurance coverage through their parents' health care plans at religious affiliated hospitals and other businesses. The decision takes HHS one step closer to implementing the Institute of Medicine's nonpartisan recommendations that women's preventive services, including all FDA-approved methods of birth control, be covered in full.

For too long, young women's health has been treated as a political bartering chip in the halls of power. On days like today, it is incredibly refreshing when science and public health are able to survive the partisan politics of Washington.

All student health plans in the U.S. must begin offering cost-free birth control coverage in August 2012, and the young people across the country will be better off because of it.

Thank you for your letters, phone calls, and organizing efforts on this issue — and on so many others. I'm thrilled that 2012 is off to such a great start, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside you in the weeks and months ahead.

With gratitude,

Deb Hauser
President
Advocates for Youth

Like I said on my last post from last semester -- I am a Resident Asistant and I organize two to three programs in the semester regarding sex. This semester I did one called the Condom Olympics and another one called Sex in the Dark. In both of my programs residents had fun learning about STD's and HIV and how to protect themselves. Condoms were distributed and were highly appreciated by all of them. As expected condoms ran out in two weeks!!!! Such a big turn out. On every round I had to do after my programs I knocked on each of my resident's doors and offerend them very good, high quality condoms. They knew I was there for them if they needed protection.

I feel so honored to be a GACC SAFESITE for two semesters in a row!! WOOHOO GO LIMESTONE COLLEGE!!! Last year was such a success that I had soo many people inquire about safe sex and inquire about how to become an advocate.  I still don't understand why people feel embarrassed about purchasing condoms!
<SAFE>SEX is a natural, beautiful thing when it is shared between two responsible, consentual individuals. 

Hey Everyone!

Exciting news! Applications to become a Great American Condom Campaign Spring Semester SafeSite are now open!

The Great American Condom Campaign is a youth-led grassroots movement to reduce unintended pregnancies and the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections by normalizing condom use on college and university campuses. Students from across the country apply to become SafeSites, individual condom distribution points, and upon selection receive a box of 500 Trojan condoms to distribute to their peers. SafeSites are also tasked with educating their peers about safer sex and advocating on campus and within their community for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people.

During the fall of 2011, 1,000 SafeSites distributed more than 500,000 condoms to students on 782 campuses. SafeSites were established in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Condoms were distributed:

Sound like fun? Apply for the GACC NOW!

We receive more applications than we can accept, so make sure your application stands out! Be clear about how you will distribute condoms and why you want to be part of the GACC. To learn more about the GACC and the awesome work of previous SafeSites, visit the GACC Facebook Page.

Applications to be a Spring Semester SafeSite are open through January 6th, 2012. It only takes 10 minutes to fill out an application, so start now!

Do it for your country!

***If you were a SafeSite last semester (Fall 2011), don't forget to complete the Fall 2011 SafeSite survey that was emailed to you last week.