Monday is National Condom Day, and at least two groups in Eugene want University students to know about it.
Allen Hall Public Relations, the student-run public relations firm in the journalism school, and HIV Alliance, a nonprofit organization in Lane County, have teamed up in a campaign to promote HIV and AIDS awareness.
According to HIV Alliance, one in every 250 people living in Lane Country is infected with HIV. Nationally, half of all new HIV infections occur in people ages 15 to 24. Its campaign is, in part, an effort to raise awareness about these numbers. Titled ‘Wrap it Up’, it is designed to be a kind of prototype for other college campuses to follow.
One of HIV Alliance’s main goals is to educate as many students and community members as possible about the facts of HIV, how it is transmitted and how it can be prevented. It also wants to raise support for individuals living with HIV or AIDS.
Laura Bishow, AHPR assistant general manager, said it is definitely worth the effort.
“They are a really great organization, and we’re really excited to help them out,” she said. “There’s been a lot of work so far. We helped them table out in front of the bookstore and talk in large lecture classes.”
The group’s next big event will take place on National Condom Day, when it will place an educational table at the EMU Amphitheater to hand out condoms and fact sheets with its mascot, Captain Rubber.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, condoms have been the surest way to prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, analysis of studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health found an 85-percent decrease in the risk of HIV transmission among consistent condom users.
Both groups realize the seriousness of the situation and say this is an
important event for them.
“We started working with them at the beginning of school. This is a pretty big event and gets a push on National Condom Day to tie it in with the
national theme,” Bishow said.
After this event, both groups will continue to work together in an effort to increase HIV and AIDS awareness. They will run a similar campaign the first weekend in March at local bars.

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