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:

“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

“…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

“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