February 14, 2008

Illinois Colleges Reject Free Valentine's Day Condoms

An Illinois-based HIV/AIDS awareness group, which currently seeks to promote safe sex at colleges throughout the state by passing out free condoms, has been turned down by two local schools, reports Fox 2 News, KTVI (myfoxstl.com, 2/7) in St. Louis.  

The organization, Bethany Place, based in Belleville, Illinois, planned to give away the condoms this week to coincide with Valentine’s Day and National Condom Week, according to the article. Though three schools did accept the condoms, Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) and Kaskaskia College both turned down the request.

The article cites the following statement from Mike Fleming, SWIC’s director of public information: “While Southwestern Illinois College was happy to approve a recent Bethany Place request for that group to set up an information table promoting ‘Safe Sex’ on Valentine’s Day, which is also National Condom Awareness Day, the college chose not to allow simultaneous distribution of free condoms.  On this occasion and historically if and when we’ve been asked, we have always declined because we do not see it as a community college charge; there are likely more appropriate distribution alternatives; and we do not think it is in the best interest of our diverse-taxpayer community to potentially offend any individuals or groups who might question such participation.”

According to Bethany Place’s Katie Barnhart, the group’s goal is to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS and sexual responsibility. “We’re not trying to promote sexual promiscuity,” she says in the article.  “There’s no cure for HIV or AIDS, so prevention is the only cure.  The first step to prevention is education, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”

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Previous Comments:

Chizzel, Detroit, MI, 2008-02-26 17:16:28
Disappointing to see an "Institution of Education" fail its main purpose

Oliver Martin, , 2008-02-19 09:16:07
It is a very sad state of affaris when any organizaion can prevent a prevention method for a disease that is 100% preventable. Shame on this Instiution