ATLANTA – A communitywide condom distribution program is proving successful for expanding access to and awareness of free condoms, and for reducing the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases among teens in Philadelphia.
The program, which includes the Philadelphia Freedom Condom program and Take Control Philly, is a comprehensive, youth-targeted STD prevention initiative launched in April 2011 by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH). A 2013 assessment, including interviews with 301 black/African American and/or Hispanic/Latino individuals aged 13-24 years showed that knowledge of at least one aspect of the campaign had almost doubled since 2011, when baseline data were collected from 300 individuals in that age group (97% vs. 52%), Matthew Prior of the PDPH reported in a poster at a conference on STD prevention sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CDC
The overall number of gonorrhea cases declined significantly from approximately 1,600 cases in the first quarter of 2011 to approximately 1,400 cases in the first quarter of 2104.
Furthermore, 82% of respondents in 2013 vs. 18% in 2011 reported having seen information about the Freedom Condom program, 9% in 2013 vs. 1% in 2011 said they had received a free condom from a commercial business, and 70% in 2013 vs. 58% in 2011 knew where to get free condoms.
Although there was no significant change in reported condom use at last sexual encounter between 2011 and 2013, the overall number of gonorrhea cases declined significantly from approximately 1,600 cases in the first quarter of 2011 to approximately 1,400 cases in the first quarter of 2104; the greatest decline was among adolescents, who accounted for about 8% of cases in the first quarter of 2011 vs. about 5% in the first quarter of 2014, Mr. Prior found.
This followed a 38% increase in the number of gonorrhea cases among adolescents from 2009 to 2010, he noted.
The Freedom Condom program aimed to improve access to condoms, in part through a free condom mailing program, and Take Control Philly aimed to prevent STDs among adolescents through a sexual health awareness campaign and by addressing sexual risk-taking behaviors among a target population. Baseline data showed that 61% of adolescents surveyed had ever had sexual intercourse, 15% had sexual intercourse before the age of 13 years, 40.4% did not use a condom during their last sexual intercourse, and 27.2% had sexual intercourse with four or more persons during their lifetime.
"Multiple strategies were used to promote the Take Control Philly website and the Freedom Condom [program], including social media advertisement, traditional media advertisement, expanded condom distribution, community event outreach, and promotion in Philadelphia public high schools," Mr. Prior wrote.
Between April 2011 and 2014, more than 8.2 million condoms were distributed through the program. The success in promoting the program is due in part to the Philadelphia health commissioner and other city health leaders, whose support was pivotal to the planning and launch of the initiative, he noted.
Also, promotion of the program website through traditional media avenues and Facebook advertising was effective for increasing website traffic and condom mailing requests, he said.
"Communitywide condom distribution expansion is a promising approach for addressing STDs in youth," he concluded, adding that using multiple strategies for increasing program awareness is necessary for reaching youth.
Mr. Prior reported having no relevant financial disclosures.