USI to distribute thousands of condoms to students

national | public consultation / irish social forum | press release

Thursday May 11, 2006 17:00

by Union of Students in Ireland

welfare at usi dot ie

Union of Students in Ireland, Grattan St., Dublin 2, Ireland

01 435 3400

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is set to distribute 40,000 condoms to Irish students as part of the ‘He Says, You Say’ sexual health campaign launched earlier this week during National Condom Week sponsored by Durex. The campaign – also endorsed by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency and the Dublin Aids Alliance – will see 30,000 sponsored condoms distributed to students at the Trinity Ball tomorrow evening (Friday 12th May).

USI TO DISTRIBUTE THOUSANDS OF CONDOMS TO STUDENTS

11 May 2006

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is set to distribute 40,000 condoms to Irish students as part of the ‘He Says, You Say’ sexual health campaign launched earlier this week during National Condom Week sponsored by Durex. The campaign – also endorsed by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency and the Dublin Aids Alliance – will see 30,000 sponsored condoms distributed to students at the Trinity Ball tomorrow evening (Friday 12th May).

In the absence of a National Sexual Health Strategy, as called for by the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA), USI believes the ‘He Says, You Say’ campaign performs a vital function in promoting sexual health to young people.

Yesterday, Fiona O’Malley TD added her voice to those calling for a National Sexual Health Strategy to promote condom use and provide impartial sexual health information.

USI Welfare Officer Tom Lowth said: “USI and students unions across the country are at the front line tackling the rise in STIs among young people in Irish colleges. We are proud of our record distributing thousands upon thousands of condoms to Irish students, and are continuing this as a key plank of the ‘He Says, You Say’ sexual health campaign.

“Fiona O’Malley was right to point out that condoms are an effective way to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, and USI urges all TDs within the governing parties to join O’Malley in demonstrating their support for efforts to raise sexual health awareness among young people – a category at very high risk from STIs.

“USI commends Fiona O’Malley, a member of the Minister for Health’s own party, for bravely supporting the IFPA’s call for a National Health Strategy. As we prepare to distribute thousands of condoms to students across Ireland, USI wants the Government to listen to USI, the IFPA and one of its own backbenchers, and adopt a national co-ordinated approach to raising awareness and promoting sexual health.”

Ends

For further information please contact:

USI Welfare Officer Tom Lowth 086 8374106
Ryan Brennan, Development Manager 01 4353400

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Comments (2 of 2)

The madness of John

by Dungarees 2001

Fri May 12, 2006 13:17

"nice to see USI putting aside its hatred of capitalism and neo-liberalism and backing a campaign that's sponsored by a capitalist company and endorsed by a PD."

Well John, that would be it - final proof that you are totally insane. Anyone who could identify USI as an "anti-capitalist" organisation is clearly gone well round the twist. I suppose Fine Gael are a pack of Marxists too

Condoms

by John - dunaree2000

Fri May 12, 2006 00:02

Every pub and students union in Ireland has a condom machine. They can also be purchased at virtually every pharmacy in the country. Are the 40,000 students to whom these condoms are to be distributed incapable of operating condom machines or going into a pharmacy and asking for them? Talk about a nanny state. What next? Perhaps USI will distribute 40,000 cans of diet coke to students who are too dumb to operate diet coke machines or to go into a shop and ask for a diet coke. Oh, I forgot. Diet coke is banned in students unions. I seem to remember a similar campaign a year ago. Yet you say sexually transmitted diseases have risen in the past year. So, it looks like last year's campaign wasn't a great success. What makes you think this year's will be any more successful? Maybe the lack of success is due to the fact that condoms are not foolproof in protecting against either sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy. They often break. I bet the male USI officers don't mention that to the female students they distribute them to before asking them to bed. Still, nice to see USI putting aside its hatred of capitalism and neo-liberalism and backing a campaign that's sponsored by a capitalist company and endorsed by a PD.

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USI to distribute thousands of condoms to students

Comments (2 of 2)