CCU club provides free biodegradable condoms to students

The Birds and Bees Club is teaching about birth control, STI prevention, and sustainability with cute animals.

They give away biodegradable condoms with beautiful packaging and funny jokes “for the sake of the horned lizard, slow down love wizard”.

It can be pretty hard to give away condoms on campus. Many students don’t want to be seen with them, especially when they’re in a group of friends. Some feel the need to make a joke to cover up being uncomfortable. Strange looks are commonplace, but not so much with these condoms. Students love them.

Because of the art and funny jokes, they don’t look like condoms which helps to make them discreet. In fact, we’ve only had one event where we had some leftover.

These condoms are vegan and made by people receiving fair wages. They are sustainable and free from many harsh chemicals. Their cute packages are totally recyclable. One extra plus: they’re biodegradable. They come from the Center for Biological Diversity, so much of this makes sense.

Let’s face it: there’s a lot of people on this planet. More people need more resources, affecting the climate crisis. That’s how Erica Richardson got into sexuality education in the first place: spreading contraception awareness to help prevent unwanted pregnancies. She’s worked with Bedsider, LiveWell, and is currently the president of the Birds and Bees. She’s been teaming up with the Center for Biological Diversity since late 2018, and in the past has helped organize events raising awareness of the overpopulation crisis and surveyed students about their desire to have children given the current climate crisis.

Dr. Rebecca Carter, an ecologist and lecturer here at Coastal, said that no one knows for sure how many humans the planet can carry, but that when that does happen, nature will take care of that for us, the same way it does when other species reach carrying capacity. She said although we may have already reached maximum capacity, she doesn’t believe that governments have a right to restrict the amount of children one can have.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 45% of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, and specifically 18% are defined as unwanted. Preventing pregnancy through accessible condoms and other contraceptives would certainly help reduce that number without government intervention.

So, they're giving away these cute animal condoms on Sept. 26, World Contraception Day, from 10-3.

The condoms will be free as always, and there will be an activity to help spread environmental awareness and flyers will be handed out promoting the club. So, if you’re grabbing lunch at CINO that day, come stop by their table in the Rotunda. Grab some condoms for yourself, and maybe some for your friends, too. Take care of yourself, and help save the Earth a tiny bit, too. Every condom helps.