NEW YORK CITY'S OFFICIAL CITY CONDOM

New York City is the "capital" of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the United States, with more cases than any other area of the country. Currently, more than 100,000 people in New York City are known to have HIV or AIDS, and AIDS is the city's third-leading cause of death among all people under the age of 65. During 2005, NY City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the NY City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene began a massive free condom distribution campaign in an effort to reduce the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. The condoms are distributed locally and via the Internet at no cost to the community and to social service organizations.

It is estimated that as many as 20,000 people in NY City alone are HIV positive but are unaware of their status, which puts literally thousands of other people at risk for becoming infected with the virus. Aggressive HIV testing programs and free condom distribution are among the initiatives that have been implemented in NY to help prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. HIV testing is offered free and anonymously to anyone in an effort to identify infection earlier and possibly prevent the inadvertent spread of the disease. Consistent use of latex condoms has been proven to be an effective means of preventing HIV infection as well as most other sexually transmitted diseases. Condoms are manufactured according to strict standards, and the minuscule failure rate of condoms has been shown to be mostly due to human error, such as improper size, improper application, condoms not being used for the entire duration of intercourse, or condoms being used with spermicides or oils which cause them to rip and tear.

NY City hands out 18 million free condoms each year for distribution at health clinics, advocacy groups, bars and nightclubs, restaurants, beauty salons, and prisons. That is about 1.5 million condoms each month! It is estimated that the city spends approximately $750,000 per year to buy the condoms. NY City officials are predicting that people would be even more likely to use the condoms if they came in distinctive packages, as marketing experts will confirm that brands and effective packaging work and that people are more likely to use a branded item. They also feel that the use of a memorable package might help them to more accurately conduct health surveys and track the effectiveness of the campaign; if a respondent describes the wrapper, then it is more likely that they have used the condoms.

The NY Post recently reported that NY Mayor Bloomberg is about to unveil the city's own "NY City brand" of free condoms for distribution. The condoms will be packaged in noticeable and memorable foils featuring a variety of different colors representing the city's different subway lines. NY will be the first city in the nation to have its own signature condoms. The condoms will be made of standard, lubricated latex and will continue to be distributed free of charge in order to promote safe sex and prevent HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Of course there has been opposition to the distribution of free condoms by some social conservatives and religious groups who claim that the government is encouraging and condoning sexual promiscuity, but the campaign has been largely well-received by the government and the public.

New York may be the first city to have its own signature condoms, but I can see that many other cities will soon be following in its footsteps. Here In Buffalo, NY I hope that our condoms are packaged in foils with hockey players and Chicken Wings!