A U.K.-based sexual health group, Marie Stopes International (MSI), is encouraging Australian high school students to pick up the latest “must-have school formal accessory”—condoms (cdcnpin.org, 11/2).
Students can access free condoms by text message as part of the “TXT 4 free condomz” campaign.
MSI is facing opposition from the Australian Family Association (AFA), which says that the mobile-phone condom program is encouraging teen sex. “The likelihood of adolescents competently using condoms is actually quite small, and then add in booze… and you've got an even less safe situation,” said Angela Conway of the AFA.
According to Jill Michelson, MSI's acting CEO, in a recent study most seniors reported that they were sexually active. “Nearly half of those students admitted that they don't use condoms every time they have sex, and one in 10 stated that they never use condoms,” she said. “A school formal is an exciting and memorable night, yet all too often teens forget to invest the time in sorting out their contraception and ensuring they are prepared on the night should they decide to engage in sexual intercourse.”
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