QR Codes on Condoms: 'Check-Ins' Let You Share Your Safe Sex

Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest recently launched a condom promotion campaign that allows users of social media to publicly share where they last used the condoms during sex. As part of the “Where Did You Wear It?” campaign, PPGNW distributed 55,000 condoms with QR codes - square scannable Quick Response barcodes - printed on the wrappers to colleges, universities, and Planned Parenthood sites in Washington state.

Condom recipients who have a smartphone capable of scanning QR codes can scan the wrapper and report the location of their sexual activity to wheredidyouwearit.com, a new PPGNW site. The interactive map pinpoints the city and state where participants have used the condoms, and it is searchable by gender, sexual orientation, age, location, and other filters. To date, people have checked in from 48 states and six continents.

The website also offers information on how to use condoms correctly and lists nearby Planned Parenthood centers where condoms are stocked. Targeting college-age and millennial youths who are already comfortable with social media, the campaign aims to promote safe sex and normalize condom use by showing how common it is.

“Condoms are an essential tool in preventing unintended pregnancy and stopping the spread of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV,” said Nathan Engebretson, PPGNW’s new media coordinator. “We hope the site promotes discussions within relationships about condoms and helps to remove perceived stigmas that some people may have about condom use.”

For more information, visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppgnw.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!