June 17, 2015

 

Toronto Public Health is launching the second City-branded condom wrapper design – known as condomTO – at Yonge-Dundas Square today. Building on last year's inaugural launch for World Pride and following the lead of successful city-branded condoms in New York City and Los Angeles, Toronto Public Health hopes the new look of the condom packaging will help reinvigorate condom use and help to promote safer sex in Toronto.

 

“As we welcome thousands of visitors and athletes to the city this summer, we want to encourage healthy and safer sex," said Councillor Joe Mihevc (Ward 21 St. Paul's), Chair of the Board of Health. Councillor Mihevc is participating in today's launch event at Yonge Dundas Square. 

 

"Toronto Public Health promotes and celebrates healthy sexuality. We distribute condoms as part of our mandate to reduce sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies," said Dr. David McKeown, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health. "Our condomTO campaign is an innovative approach to encourage condom use throughout the year and during special events."

 

Condom use is an effective way to prevent sexually transmitted infections including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. Toronto Public Health has been promoting and distributing condoms since 1983. However, in a recent TPH student survey, only 60 per cent of Grade 9 to 12 students reported that they used a condom or other barrier the last time they had sex, demonstrating that more work is needed in this area.

 

Torontonians will be able to pick up condoms at many locations throughout the city this summer, including mobile City of Toronto visitor information centres (INFOTOGO) and Toronto Public Health's sexual health clinics, as well as through some Public Health partner agencies.

 

More information about this year's condomTO launch is available at http://bit.ly/1FJi0B0.

 

This news release is also available on the City's website: http://bit.ly/1IkQKcV

 

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

 

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Media contact: Lenore Bromley, Toronto Public Health, 416-338-7974, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.