In the latest effort to increase condom use, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are introducing the e-condom on Facebook.
Facebook, a website started in 2004, has over 175 million users, many of whom are adolescents and young adults, making it a great way to educate users about condom use and safe sex practices.
In addition to safe sex education, the Facebook page also provides interesting facts on topics such as HIV that viewers can learn from. For example, people living in New York might be shocked to learn that 1 of every 25 men living in Manhattan have HIV, a statistic that might make people think twice before having unprotected sex.
Besides providing information on Facebook, in 2007 NYC designed its first condom, and since then over 70 million have been given away. By providing education and access to contraceptives, the goal is to see less sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies in New York.
Contributed by Angela Donadic, Policy and Advocacy Fellow
