If you live in DC...condoms are about to be free!

[Anti-DieselKitty]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26814-2003Dec1.html

District To Offer Condoms For Free
Dispensers in Offices Aimed at Rise in AIDS

District health officials, who every day confront the nation's highest incidence of AIDS, will soon install plain white condom dispensers in select government offices and begin distributing the contraceptives for free.

The goal is to place more than 50 dispensers in offices frequented by the public, including the D.C. Housing Authority and the departments of human services, motor vehicles and public works, among others.

"They're going to be as common as water fountains," Ivan O. Torres, interim director of the city's HIV/AIDS Administration, said of the dispensers. "The mayor is committed to this. . . . This is no longer something to be ashamed of. It affects all of us."

City officials, who announced the measure on World AIDS Day yesterday, said they know of no other city or state that has distributed prophylactics so broadly from within government buildings.

The condoms are intended for the public and not for city workers, Torres said. They will not be displayed prominently in lobbies but they will be readily available.

In the next 12 months, the administration plans to pass out about 550,000 male condoms, 45,000 latex dental dams and about 30,000 female condoms in a variety of venues, including the public school system, which gives out 50,000 condoms a year. Male condoms cost the city less than a nickel apiece, and female condoms cost several dollars each.

Beauty salons, barbershops and nightclubs in the District hand out government-provided condoms, and Torres said their role will be stepped up as well. In recent tests of free dispensers in restrooms at District nightclubs Dream and Zanzibar and Georgene's restaurant and bar, male condoms were in demand, officials said. At Dream, about 900 condoms were dispensed over a recent two-day period, he said.



It's a long article...click the link to read the rest...:yes:

[LadyJ]

That's awesome, especially the fact that they're distributing them in schools. Hopefully, other cities will follow suit.:thumbsup:

[buzzboy]

if i close my eyes i can see thousands of people just getting down everywhere...like that queen song. the funny thing was the bold part though....how do you say "sausage party" with out offending any breakfast foods?

[ekitn]

*sausage party!* :haha: :afterbuzz:

[Anti-DieselKitty]

I made it bold, I couldn't resist... Partly because it was Dream and partly because of the thread asking if there should be condom machines in clubs.

[Mokey]

That is awesome. I was watching the news last night and they were saying 1 in 20 people have the HIV in DC.

[DNAgirl]

Its kinda cool. I'm not 100% sure, but isn't a large amount of the AIDS problem around here related to sharing needles :shrug:

I think they should be discussing that as well.

[cee]

sounds like a promotion 4 Dream!!!

[bboyneko]

free condoms have been common in many Universities, esp in dorm buildings and health centers. Usually, they are the shitty LIFESTYLES brand.

[SiK BuG]

yay I live in DC its funny too cuz I live right behind the Zanzibar like im looking at it now.

[nyhope]

HOORAY for free condoms!! catie you made my morning.

it is excellent to see the city addressing the AIDS crisis in this way.

:eddie:

[velvetgoldmire]

How about a lil' fuck music? :tarvis:

[buzzboy]

Originally posted by nyhope
HOORAY for free condoms!! catie you made my morning.

it is excellent to see the city addressing the AIDS crisis in this way.

:eddie:

yeah but as stated they prolly suck and will break and be another pointless waste of money by the dc govt.

as someone else addressed the iv drug use problem is severe, especially since currently (in va where i live)there are no needle exchanges, and if a person tries to aquire a new needle, they will be prosecuted. If some one belives they have taken too much and are dying and call 911 they will be charge with posestion for anything/paraphenelia they find. this is messed up; i believe that less people who abuse drugs would die if they could get help with out fear of reprisal. almost like the govt. WAN'TS people who make poor decisions to kill themselves off vs. turn them selves in.

[buzzboy]

Originally posted by velvetgoldmire
How about a lil' fuck music? :tarvis:

i wanna hear "get down make love " - by queen

or that "why dont we do it in the road" - by Queen

[bboyneko]

I had a close friend who had somone OD on him, and called police who then took care of the OD'ed guy, made sure he was breathing, and when the police came and found the needle syringe and drug paraphernalia, they didn't do a thing. The police took the needle and put it on a shelf in the room where they found the guy and no one was charged with anything. This may be official policy of baltimore I'm not sure. No tickets were issued, no one was fined, nothing had to be signed.

So yeah, if you have a friend OD on you, PLEASE call 911, more than likely you won't get in trouble and no bathtub full of ice is gonna do what a trained paramedic can do.

[nyhope]

Originally posted by buzzboy


yeah but as stated they prolly suck and will break and be another pointless waste of money by the dc govt.

as someone else addressed the iv drug use problem is severe, especially since currently (in va where i live)there are no needle exchanges, and if a person tries to aquire a new needle, they will be prosecuted. If some one belives they have taken too much and are dying and call 911 they will be charge with posestion for anything/paraphenelia they find. this is messed up; i believe that less people who abuse drugs would die if they could get help with out fear of reprisal. almost like the govt. WAN'TS people who make poor decisions to kill themselves off vs. turn them selves in.


the two problems have nothing to do with one another. they aren't doing this instead of a needle exchange.

more opportunities for people to have safe sex are being provided with every condom handed out. it's better than the alternative.

i am not saying this is a perfect solution for the city's aids crisis. i am saying this is a good step to take.

[Moebius]

Pretty friggin cool.

[DNAgirl]

Originally posted by nyhope



the two problems have nothing to do with one another. they aren't doing this instead of a needle exchange.

more opportunities for people to have safe sex are being provided with every condom handed out. it's better than the alternative.

i am not saying this is a perfect solution for the city's aids crisis. i am saying this is a good step to take.


:werd:

[bboyneko]

not jus aids but STD's in general, babies included

[Julierose]

:werd: thats pretty interesting. and thanks for only posting the readers digest version of the story, i'm sure we all apppreciate it.

[The Logic Theorist]

*shakes head* Babies? I guess they're having sex younger and younger these days.

j/k :D

[ravetildawn]

free condoms!
sweet, now i can ho it up again.

[SiK BuG]

the real reason behind this is to stop the spread of all the stupid ppl here in dc from having babies.

[ravetildawn]

morons should definately not be allowed to reproduce...tho i suppose that would hinder human genetic variation...
i guess we have to have a good supply of idiots around to even out the population. hence, there cannot be genius without ignorance. but that's a whole other thread....

[jamiroguy]

What's a condom?

[Bunny]

They should have done it a long time ago. But, what is that saying too little, too late. Condoms as well as other forms of birth control are so expensive. Especially for people who live in poverty and who don't have health insurance. They should give them out for free. Isn't prevention better than having to treat the problem that will result.

[ravetildawn]

yea, this country needs to learn about and impose more preventative methods and programs, like europe. it'll never happen tho.

[Julierose]

Originally posted by ravetildawn
free condoms!
sweet, now i can ho it up again.

:spit: :afterbuzz:

[badkitty3804]

Shouldn't Baltimore be the one giving out free condoms :shrug:

[Synthetikid]

do you have to prove you're a DC resident to get them from the govt. buildings? (i know the dispensers aren't going to ask for ID at dream)

when does nation get theirs?

[Julierose]

no, you dont need to be a resident of DC to get them... Anyone can have them except for you...

:jk:

[Synthetikid]

you don't want little jakes running around... trust me it would be baaad.

[badkitty3804]

:yes:

:chilly:

[Anti-DieselKitty]

Originally posted by badkitty3804
Shouldn't Baltimore be the one giving out free condoms :shrug:

:yes:

Originally posted by Synthetikid
do you have to prove you're a DC resident to get them from the govt. buildings? (i know the dispensers aren't going to ask for ID at dream)

when does nation get theirs?

I'm sure they are meant for the people that can't afford them or wouldn't bother using them if they weren't free.... Also, probably mostly DC residents will be at the DC government buildings- at least more than non-DC residents, but I'm guessing they are free for everyone.

Whatever happened to www.freecondoms.com?

[Synthetikid]

you have to sign up for those "free" magazine subscriptions that require a credit card... i have no credit, so i have no free condoms.
(don;t worry, use of such things has not been an immedate need of mine for quite some time)

[Anti-DieselKitty]

Hmmm...nevermind that then.

[pluryou]

I think this is a great idea and hope ppl make good use out of it.

[Charran]

Originally posted by Mokey
That is awesome. I was watching the news last night and they were saying 1 in 20 people have the HIV in DC.

:scared:

[TriEdManOC]

awright!

[ggfab]

free dispensers + the ghett0= always empty