With Valentine's Day just around the corner, this weekend will be filled with the celebration of love, romance, chocolate candies and, perhaps most importantly, condoms.
The American Social Health Association is sponsoring the ninth annual National Condom Day on Valentine's Day, this Sunday.
The day was created to remind sexually active people that safer sex is important to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, said Joan Cates, vice president of development and policy at ASHA.
"National Condom Day is always on Valentine's Day because it's a day for lovers," Cates said. "It's a catchy time to remember to use protection when making love."
The University has sponsored National Condom Day events in the past, including passing out condoms on the Diag.
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| DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily Beth Karmeisool, owner of the Safe Sex Store, throws condoms into the air at her store on South University Avenue yesterday. National Condom Day is being recognized Sunday. |
The first is that National Condom Day falls on the weekend and the number of students on campus on Friday is "hideously low," Smith said.
Smith also said there has been a recent trend away from centering events around specific days. Research by health education departments at the University and other Big Ten schools has indicated that events to promote awareness are ineffective at changing behavior.
"It's kind of scary," Smith said. "It doesn't even do that good a job of raising awareness."
UHS has developed an alternate plan to promote the use of condoms. A few days before Spring Break, UHS health educators will hand out "safer Spring Break kits" in the Michigan Union and in residence halls.
The kits will include condoms and information about safer sex, Smith said.
The Safe Sex Store on South University Avenue is sponsoring a contest to win a trip to St. Lucia in honor of National Condom Day, the store's owner
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