Condom Week: 20 years of coverage

Karen C. Tully Arizona Daily Wildcat Pharmacy juniors Kevin Kuzma and Heather Allton demonstrate the proper method for putting on a condom. Kuzma is a health educator for Student Health and works to "remind people about the risks" associated with sex.

"National Condom Week helps increase awareness about condoms and improves ways of practicing safe sex," said Lee Ann Hamilton, health educator at Campus Health Services.

Condom Week began at the University of California at Berkeley in 1978. There are 350 colleges that participate in the event, which begins every year on Valentine's Day.

Campus Health Services is celebrating National Condom Week next week on the University of Arizona Mall. Free condoms and educational information will be available from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Heather Holzmann, member of the Campus Health Advisory Council, said the council will be on the Mall in a red and blue tent selling condoms in clear balloons for $1 in an effort to educate students about the services available to them on campus.

"Mr. Condom," a giant walking condom, will also be on the Mall to hand out condoms.

"Condom week is a good time to spread the word about what Health Services does and to show students that there are student representatives on campus to answer their questions," Holzmann said.

Frisky Business, a group that gives one-hour presentations on sex, is another service offered by Campus Health Services. The program is designed to educate students about safe sex.

Kevin Kuzma, a third-year pharmacy student and five-year member of Frisky Business, said, "We try to introduce new methods of contraception that students may not be familiar with and answer any questions they have."

The goal of National Condom Week is to reduce sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies by increasing the number of sexually active people who use condoms correctly and consistently, Hamilton said.

Frisky Business, the Bisexual Gay and Lesbian Association, Planned Parenthood, the Tucson AIDS Project, the Shanti Foundation, the People With AIDS Coalition of Tucson and the Gay Young Men's Project are working with the Campus Health Advisory Committee t o bring National Condom Week to the UA.

Hamilton said, "Condom Week is a good reminder that diseases can be prevented with condoms."