DC Doin' It! campaign promotes female condom use

In an effort to encourage residents of Washington, DC to practice safe sex, the DC Doin' It! campaign will release a series of bus advertisements, posters and brochures promoting the use of the female condom. The initiative was created through a $500,000 grant donated by the MAC AIDS Fund, the District Department of Health and the Washington AIDS Partnership.

The funding will help supporters give free condoms to organizations that assist communities greatly affected by the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In addition to the distribution of free supplies, the campaign has partnered with CVS/pharmacy to sell female condoms in the 56 stores located in Washington, DC.

The initiative will also feature information on its website, including the proper use of the preventative method, how to discuss practicing safe with one's partner as well as options on receiving free female condoms.

Channing Wickham, executive director of the Washington AIDS Partnership, stated that local and national support has helped create "a campaign that seeks to change social norms and save lives."

In addition to protecting against HIV/AIDS, condom use can lower one's risk of contracting several other STDs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea and herpes. In 2007, an estimated 1.1 million new cases of chlamydia were diagnosed in the U.S.