The roses have been begun to wilt, the chocolate eaten, the candles have been put away and the wax cleaned off your lover’s…tablecloth. Valentine’s Day may be in the rear view mirror, but it’s still just the beginning of a greater holiday season — National Condom Week!

Running from February 14th to February 21st, National Condom Week is a reminder that all sex should be safer sex. Let’s see how the festivities are throughout our great country.

In Illinois, all Planned Parenthoods are giving free condoms out at their local clinics.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois is encouraging
sexually active individuals to talk to their partners about the
importance of using condoms to protect against sexually transmitted
infections.

Planned Parenthood will be recognizing National Condom Week by
giving away free condoms at all its Illinois health centers next week
(Feb. 14-21).

Illinois ranked eighth out of 50 states for the
most gonorrhea cases in 2008 and ninth out of 50 states in chlamydia
cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention

In Wisconsin, sexual health advocates are taking it to college campuses with a variety of events.  From a Planned Parenthood Wisconsin press release:

Planned
Parenthood of Wisconsin’s community educators and the campus
organization Advocates for Choice are sponsoring activities at
UW-Milwaukee and UW-Madison campuses this week to help foster
discussion about condom use among sexual partners. Events include an
educational outreach table at UWM’s Union Atrium on Tuesday and a
condom crawl on the UW-Madison campus Friday night.  

Of course, the Midwest isn’t the only place where National Condom Week is celebrated. In New York, they’ve taken the celebration to the most likely venue for celebration — local bars.  The Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, who celebrated a week early in order to be sure to catch students before they left for vacation or made Valentine’s Day plans, sponsored "safe sex kits" available at a variety of local watering holes.

For the past several years, UHPP has collaborated with local
businesses on this annual event. Patrons of participating businesses
will have the chance to engage in various educational games and win
prizes. One game featured will be the "Wheel of Choice", in which
participants spin a roulette styled wheel and answer questions
regarding sexual activity. At all venues, UHPP will be providing "safe
sex kits" containing condoms, lubricant, finger cot, dental dam, and
information about Emergency Contraception, UHPP services and the proper
way to use a condom.

The condoms distributed will be Planned Parenthood’s new brand,
Proper Attire. The brand was launched two years ago with great fanfare.
The condom packaging is particularly designed to appeal to women, with
the goal of making women more comfortable in purchasing and carrying
condoms.

Planned Parenthood is also providing free Proper Attire condoms at events in California as well.

“Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside Counties is encouraging
people to start a dialogue with their partners about condom use,” said
Jennifer Coburn, Director of Communications of the local Planned
Parenthood. “Many people who have an STI don’t even realize it. It’s
important to let your partner know that you want to use condoms every
time you have sex to keep both of you healthy.” 

Want to celebrate National Condom Week yourself?  Check for a local Planned Parenthood and see if they are hosting an event or giving away condoms.  Then, set time aside to have a talk with your partner to negotiate condom use, with the following tips in mind:

• Don’t wait until the heat of the moment to bring
  it up. Talk about condom use before you are in a situation where you
  might need one.
• Be direct about your feelings.
• You may want to practice what you are going to say to your partner.
• Make sure you send a consistent message that you want to use condoms every time you have sex.
• Discuss with your partner which of you will provide the condoms.
• Emphasize that condoms are essential to protect each other’s health.