Protect yourself, protect your pals
In a way, gifting condoms to your friends is a bit like giving them the gift of sexual health. It’s easy, thoughtful, and can make a real difference in someone’s life.
Giving out condoms also normalizes having them on hand and sends an important message: everyone deserves access to protection.
Tip #1
Sharing is caring
Handing out condoms to your friends is more than a practical gesture, it’s acknowledging that not everyone has access to them, whether that’s for family, cultural, or financial reasons.
It could also be that some of your friends feel too shy to purchase their own.
Carrying around a few extra condoms in your bag? Share with your friends. Whether it’s a night out, after a class, or just because you’ve got them with you: sharing condoms is a thoughtful gesture that shows the people around you that you care.
Tip #2
Keep it simple and comfortable
Giving someone condoms doesn’t have to be a huge deal. You can simply leave a few in a little box at your place, fill up a bowl in the bathroom with a “help yourself” sign, or offer them to friends the same way you would a pack of gum.
You can also talk about it with humour and levity: “I have enough condoms for an army with me. Help yourself!”
The idea is to normalize the gesture and remove taboos. The more we talk about it, the more comfortable we make it for everyone.
To learn how to talk about it with your friends in a laid back way, read this article.
Tip #3
Don’t forget oral sex dams!
Protection isn’t just for anal or vaginal penetration.
To reduce the spread of STBBIs during oral sex, many people use an oral sex dam (also called a “dental dam”), a latex square that can be placed on the vulva or anus before oral stimulation.
Oral sex dams can be found in specialized boutiques, in some student union offices, at the school health clinic, or at a sexologist's office—if this is something your institution offers.
To find out about all your options for using protection, read this article.
