and re-educate about condoms – not just as a barrier but as a cost-effective tool for safer and more confident sexual experiences.  and partners worldwide in celebrating International Condom Day 2025 on 13 February Condoms remain a trusted and highly effective option for triple protection: preventing HIV Let’s remember that condoms are one of many great prevention choices available for ensuring safety we can continue to empower informed decisions and access to this essential tool.  Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes  Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research Technical information on codoms Family planning and contraception Global HIV prevention coalition: resource hub 2025 at 11:11 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Friday gave a unanimous unfavorable report to HB380 The legislation would've decriminalized condom and contraceptive vending machines in schools from nurseries through 12th grade MD — A bill that would've decriminalized condom and contraceptive vending machines in Maryland schools from nurseries through 12th grade died recently The now-defeated House Bill 380 mirrored 2023 legislation that allowed contraceptive vending machines on college campuses, Maryland Matters reported This year's proposal didn't require the vending machines in all schools, but it would've removed the misdemeanor charge and $1,000 fine for those who installed them “This is a huge win for Maryland families,” Maryland Freedom Caucus Vice Chair Del. Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore County) said in a Friday press release “The Maryland Freedom Caucus led the charge in exposing the radical nature of HB380 and today’s vote proves that even members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee couldn’t defend it The bill passed the House of Delegates by an 89-41 vote in late February Maryland Matters said the vote mostly followed party lines where the Judicial Proceedings Committee unanimously gave it an unfavorable report on Friday “This bill is simply decriminalizing access to contraception It does not dictate any type of policy as it relates to vending machines and any of our schools or preschools or day care centers,” bill sponsor Del Nicole Williams (D-Prince George's County) told Maryland Matters not to have at least have had the conversation on the Senate side about the need for making sure that everyone in the state of Maryland has access to contraceptives.” To learn more about the debate over contraception in schools, read Maryland Matters' story Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Your gateway to environmental health knowledge Join the Environmental Health News community Research reveals that several popular condom and lubricant brands contain high levels of toxic PFAS chemicals Tom Perkins reports for The Guardian. “The vagina and penis are incredibly vascular areas and dermal exposure to these areas are often higher than other places of the body.” science adviser for Mamavation who previously ran the Environmental Protection Agency’s toxicology program PFAS are commonly found in a variety of products due to their water- and stain-resistant properties. However, their inclusion in products like condoms and lubricants has raised alarms among health experts and environmental advocates When applied to sensitive reproductive organs there is a significant risk of these chemicals being absorbed into the body leading to potential health issues such as hormonal disruptions hand-picked by our editors and researchers We offer a host of daily and weekly options Nonprofit organizations MADE SAFE and Plastic Pollution Coalition released the new Healthy Pregnancy Guideto help parents-to-be navigate the challenges of making healthier living choices for babies and the planet a newsroom powered by Environmental Health Sciences It all improves the health of our communities WASHINGTON – It was an astounding revelation, one that Donald Trump’s White House was eager to share with the American public The next day, Trump drew chuckles from the crowd gathered for a bill signing in the White House East Room when he repeated a variation of the same story claiming his administration had “identified and stopped $50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas.” The problem: There’s no evidence it’s true “You are not finding any evidence of that because it simply cannot be true,” said Matthew Kavanagh director of Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Policy and Politics For years, the U.S. government has provided millions of dollars' worth of condoms and other contraceptives to foreign countries as a way to help prevent the spread of AIDS and HIV and to make sure family planning is available in developing nations The U.S. Agency for International Development, the government agency responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance, said in a report last April that it had spent $61 million in 2023 to provide condoms and other contraceptives to other countries But just $8 million of that went for the purchase of condoms And not a cent was used to send condoms to Gaza From 2016 to 2022, the agency spent $118 million on condoms for 60 countries – an average of about $17 million a year, according to a separate report released in 2023 More: Trump floats plan to 'just clean out' Gaza, move Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan the White House referred to a State Department statement that said the administration had stopped “two $50 million buckets of ‘aid’” headed to Gaza through the International Medical Corps a nonprofit humanitarian assistance organization based in Los Angeles “The $100 million for these programs included contraceptives,” the statement said “Condoms have traditionally always been used for family planning in developing countries by USAID.” The White House did not respond to an inquiry about how much of the $100 million it paused was to be used to purchase condoms according to the International Medical Corps The organization has received $68 million from USAID since 2023 to support its operations in Gaza including two large field hospitals that provide medical care to roughly 33,000 civilians a month in a dangerous environment where the health care infrastructure has been decimated The corps provides lifesaving services such as surgical and post-operative care for trauma government funding was used to procure or distribute condoms,” Bernhardt said Humanitarian groups defend the use of government funding to send condoms and other contraceptives to foreign countries saying they are essential to stopping the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and making sure people have access to family planning in countries where it otherwise may not be available but also in other low- and middle-income countries have access to condoms is one of the most important parts of the AIDS response and one that the United States has been funding and should be funding,” said Kavanagh More: Judge temporarily blocks Trump policy that aimed at freezing federal grant funding Family planning is also important to help women survive in countries where poverty and the maternal mortality rate are high or in places where quality health care is unavailable said Beth Schlachter of MSI Reproductive Choices which works to make sure contraception is accessible around the world “If you are a woman living in Gaza over the last year it’s not the ideal time to get pregnant,” said Schlachter a former population policy adviser for the State Department “Providing family planning or contraceptives is a routine part of humanitarian assistance because women bring their uteruses with them when they are in a time of crisis and they still need all the reproductive health care they would need at any other time in their life.” humanitarian groups said the administration’s claim that $50 million was about to be spent to send condoms to Gaza is absurd so $50 million in condoms is over a billion condoms,” Kavanagh said and I think on average that would be three condoms per day for every adult in Gaza Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Metrics details An Author Correction to this article was published on 11 November 2024 This article has been updated Non-condom use is known as one of the risky sexual behaviors among youth and a contributing factor to the high prevalence of HIV in Nigeria Therefore this study aimed to assess the spatial pattern and determinants of non-condom use among sexually active young people in Nigeria The study employed a cross-sectional analysis of population-based data involving 288 males and 780 females aged 15–24 years giving 1068 sexually active young people drawn from the 2018 NDHS The study adopted a multi-level and spatial analysis to identify factors associated with non-condom use in Nigeria The prevalence of non-condom use was 57.7% in this study The spatial analysis showed that the Northeastern and South–South regions of Nigeria had a high proportion of non-condom use among young people and Southwestern parts had low proportions of non-condom use the individual and community level factors associated with non-condom use included exposure to media (AOR 0.59; 95% CI 0.39–0.91) and younger age (AOR 0.72; 95% CI 0.53–0.98) Areas with a high proportion of non-condom use should receive the most attention through the promotion of condom use and education alongside a focus on important associated factors our study uses the most recent DHS to provide more recent estimates of non-condom use among sexually active young people it assesses the spatial pattern to provide visual insights into the distribution of non-condom use across the regions which is not presented by the figures to delineate the high and low spots in non-condom use among sexually active young we included a significant number of individual and community-level factors to assess the contextual factors influencing non-condom use among young people no previous study has assessed the spatial pattern and determinants of non-condom use among sexually young people using the current national sample and in addition extensively considered identified contextual factors The study addresses this gap to enable policymakers develop appropriate policies and implement targeted intervention across the regions of the country This study assessed the spatial pattern and determinants of non-condom use among sexually active young people in Nigeria The conceptual framework for this study is shown in Fig. 1. The target population for this study are sexually active young people in Nigeria who do not use condoms Unmarried youths aged 15–24 who had sexual intercourse in the last 4 weeks of conducting the 2018 National Demography Health survey Dependent variable: This was defined as unmarried young people who have had unprotected sex without a female or male condom in their last sexual intercourse This was conducted using Stata Software (version 15) There were three stages to the data analysis Using frequency distributions for categorical data we first produced a descriptive analysis of the variables A p-value of 0.05 was established as a significant level at a 95% confidence level in the second step of bivariate analysis Pearson’s chi-square test was used to examine the association between individual and community-level characteristics and non-condom use The significant variables with p < 0.01 and those with p < 0.25 were entered 0 for multivariable regression analysis a multivariate mixed-effects logistics regression model was used in the third stage to examine the effect of community-level factors on the outcome variables with young people at level 1 nested within the community at level 2 Model 1 (the random intercept model) was fitted without the use of any explanatory variables to test the random variability of the intercept and display the overall variance in the exposure to non-condom use among young people in various communities Model 2 examined the effect of individual-level variables Model 3 looked into the effects of factors at the community level while Model 4 looked into the effects of both individual and community-level factors concurrently The results of fixed effects were presented as odds ratios with a 95% confidence level To explain the percentage of variance and compare the succeeding models the inter-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC) for each model was computed From the data set for non-condom use coverage in Nigeria, spatial maps were created using the QGIS 3.10 program (https://qgis.org/) To normalize the data set for easy integration into the database and visualization in QGIS the data structure was created in Google Sheets Using the Join Attribute by Location Tool in QGIS the attribute data were combined with the spatial data; this produced a database comprising the non-condom use results together with the Nigeria shape file received from the Natural Earth database Each point of the attribute data for the variables was represented graphically in QGIS using the Equal Count (Quartile) mode and five classes The classes show the proportion of each attribute's data that is contained in the database and this information was shown using different color ramps Non-condom use coverage in Nigeria (NDHS 2018) The spatial distribution of non-condom use in this study showed that a higher percentage of those who do not use condoms was located in the Northeastern and South–south parts of Nigeria A low proportion of young people who do not use condoms was located in the Northwest A significantly higher proportion of females, those aged 20–24, those with secondary education, and those in the richer wealth index, were non-condom users. A significantly higher proportion of those who are exposed to social media were also non-condom users. However, religion (p = 0.239) had no association (Table 2) The spatial analysis revealed significant underlying factors that may not always be reflected by data collection in various surveys but are unique to certain regions and may strengthen or weaken the association with non-condom use this finding suggests that there still exists a knowledge gap about the importance of media awareness and health education specific to the distinctiveness of each geographical location in Nigeria which suggests that older youth may be knowledgeable about the risks of non-condom use and being sexually active A plausible explanation for this finding is that male condoms are considered easier to use and widely available A plausible explanation for this finding is that poor young people are prone to financial constraints that make it difficult to purchase condoms or seek sexual and reproductive health counseling from health facilities A possible reason for this finding is that young people in rural areas are less educated and may have poor access to sexual and reproductive health services it is essential to implement a combination of interventions tailored to specific contexts We suggest policies and programmes targeted to young people and aimed at promoting education on the dangers of risky sexual behaviors while also providing information on the benefits of condom use and safe sex practices it is essential to strengthen and scale existing programmes to enable young people to access health services where they find trust and can express themselves without reservation This is important because young people often hesitate to seek help in conventional hospital settings for fear of judgment The strength of this study is its use of a nationally representative data set which enhances the generalizability of our findings to young people in Nigeria using geographic information system (GIS) in the study allowed us to identify the hotspots for non-condom use among young people in the country It relied on secondary data; thus the reliability of our findings depends on the quality of the NDHS the DHS is widely recognized as one of the most reliable data sources particularly because it is the most extensive data collection program on health at the population level in Nigeria and most sub-Saharan African nations Due to the cross-sectional nature of the data it is difficult to conclude cause-and-effect relationships the self-reported nature of data on condom use makes it susceptible to recall bias with no means of verification of all information supplied Future research using qualitative methods is suggested to explore other factors contributing to non-condom use that this study may not have addressed mainly because it uses secondary data sets The study found that non-condom use in Nigeria ranged from 0 to 60% across the country to further improve condom use among young people in Nigeria factors identified in this study should be given the most attention through health promotion and education The dataset used for the preparation of this manuscript is available at https://dhsprogram.com/data/dataset The result-based data are included in the manuscript A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78098-8 Patterns and correlates of condom use among unmarried male youths in Nigeria: NDHS 2008 Demographic change and HIV epidemic projections to 2050 for adolescents and young people aged 15–24 UNICEF. HIV and Aids in adolescents. https://data.unicef.org/topic/hiv-aids/ (2021) A multilevel mixed effect analysis of neighborhood and individual level determinants of risky sexual behavior among young people in South Africa Regional differences in positive sexual behavior among youth in sub-Saharan Africa Predictors of male condom utilization in Plateau State HIV infection and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa: current status Thirty-five years (1986–2021) of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria: Bibliometric and scoping analysis Factors explaining the North-South differentials in contraceptive use in Nigeria: A nonlinear decomposition analysis Condom use amongst out-of-school youths in a local government area in Nigeria Factors associated with consistent condom use: A cross-sectional survey of two Nigerian universities A comparative analysis of condom use among unmarried youths in a rural community in Nigeria Condom use and HIV/AIDS among young people in Edo State Factors Associated with Non-use of Condom Among Youths in High-Risk Sexual Activity in Selected Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (2014) Determinants of condom use among parous women in North Central and South Western Nigeria: A cross-sectional survey Spatial distribution and factors associated with modern contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in Nigeria: A multilevel analysis Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018 (Abuja The strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: Guidelines for reporting observational studies Model selection and psychological theory: a discussion of the differences between the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) Statistics simplified. How to test for multicollinearity in SPSS. https://www.statology.org (2020) Factors Associated with Non-use of Condom Among Youths in High-Risk Sexual Activity in Selected Countries in sub-Saharan Africa (2010) Predictors of condom use behavior among men who have sex with men in China using a modified information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model Pattern and predictors of sexual behavior among adolescents in Ibadan Socioeconomic variations in risky sexual behavior among adolescents in 14 sub-Saharan African countries who report ever having had sex Download references We thank ICF International for approving the dataset from the DHS Archive for this research The data were collected initially by ICF International The work was supported by Strengthening Programming for Adolescents and Youths through Resource and Knowledge Generation and Link to Evidence (SPARKLE) project of the University of Medical Sciences with funding from the Ford Foundation Department of Population Reproductive and Family Health Olufunmilayo Esther Bello & Olorunfemi Akinbode Ogundele Department of Mathematical and Computer Science O.A.O.; implementation: all authors; data access and extraction: O.A.O. O.E.B.; data analysis and interpretation: O.A.O.; writing (original draft): O.E.B and O.A.O.; and writing (review and editing): O.E.B The authors declare no competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Oluyemi Adewole Okunlola which was incorrectly given as Oluyemi Adewale Okunlola Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-71424-0 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science a late clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative medicines for preserving muscle for high quality weight loss and viral induced acute respiratory distress syndrome today announced that it has sold its FC2 Female Condom® (Internal Condom) business to clients managed by Riva Ridge Capital Management LP a New York City-based investment management firm as well as other co-investors subject to adjustment as set forth in the purchase agreement “The monetization of the FC2 business allows Veru to be a pure biopharmaceutical company focusing its additional nondilutive resources on the execution and development of its promising late-stage clinical drug pipeline,” said Mitchell Steiner “We are excited about the Company’s successful strategic evolution to the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases with a fully enrolled Phase 2b QUALITY clinical trial evaluating enobosarm to preserve muscle and augment fat loss for a higher quality weight loss in patients receiving WEGOVY® We are expecting topline clinical results for this study in January 2025.” As a result of the sale of the FC2 business including the transfer of its UK and Malaysian based subsidiaries Veru’s headcount will be reduced by approximately 90% from 210 to 22 Estimated proceeds to the Company after deducting a change of control premium due SWK Funding LLC pursuant to the Company’s Residual Royalty Agreement together with other customary fees for transactions of this type are approximately $12.5 million subject to certain post-closing adjustment provisions in the purchase agreement Upon payment of the change of control premium to SWK the Royalty Agreement terminates in accordance with its terms The liabilities associated with the Royalty Agreement which totaled $9.9 million as of September 30 Raymond James acted as a financial advisor to Veru About the Enobosarm Phase 2b QUALITY clinical trialThe fully enrolled Phase 2b dose-finding QUALITY clinical trial is evaluating the safety and efficacy of enobosarm 3mg or placebo as a treatment to preserve muscle and augment fat loss in 168 patients with sarcopenic obesity or overweight elderly (>60 years of age) patients receiving semaglutide (Wegovy®) The primary endpoint is total lean body mass and the key secondary endpoints are total body fat mass and physical function as measured by stair climb test at 16 weeks Topline clinical results from the trial are expected in January of 2025 After completing the efficacy dose-finding portion of the Phase 2b QUALITY clinical trial it is expected that participants will then continue in blinded fashion into a Phase 2b extension clinical trial where all patients will stop receiving a GLP-1 RA or enobosarm 6mg for an additional 12 weeks The Phase 2b extension clinical trial will evaluate whether enobosarm can maintain muscle and prevent the fat and weight gain that occurs after discontinuing a GLP-1 RA The topline results of the separate blinded Phase 2b extension clinical study are expected in calendar Q2 2025 About Sarcopenic ObesityAccording to the CDC 41.5% of older adults have obesity in the United States and could benefit from a weight loss medication Up to 34.4% of these obese patients over the age of 60 have sarcopenic obesity This large subpopulation of sarcopenic obese patients is especially at risk for taking GLP-1 drugs for weight loss as they already have critically low amount of muscle due to age-related muscle loss Further loss of muscle mass when taking a GLP-1 RA medication may lead to muscle weakness leading to poor balance bone fractures and increased mortality which is a condition like age-related frailty Because of the magnitude and speed of muscle loss while on GLP-1 RA therapy for weight loss GLP-1 RA drugs may accelerate the development of frailty in older obese or overweight elderly patients a novel oral daily selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) has been previously studied in 5 clinical studies involving 968 older normal men and postmenopausal women as well as older patients who have muscle wasting because of advanced cancer Advanced cancer causes the loss of appetite where there is significant unintentional loss or wasting of both muscle and fat mass which is similar to what is observed with in patients taking GLP-1 RA drugs We believe the totality of the clinical data from these previous five clinical trials demonstrates that enobosarm treatment leads to dose-dependent increases in muscle mass with improvements in physical function as well as significant dose-dependent reductions in fat mass The patient data that were generated from these five enobosarm clinical trials in both elderly patients and in patients with a cancer induced appetite suppression provide strong clinical rationale for enobosarm The expectation is that enobosarm in combination with a GLP-1 RA would potentially augment the fat reduction and total weight loss while preserving muscle mass which includes 27 clinical trials involving 1581 men and women some of which included patients dosed for up to 3 years enobosarm was generally well tolerated with no increases in gastrointestinal side effects This is important as there are already significant and frequent gastrointestinal side effects with a GLP-1 RA treatment alone About Veru Inc.Veru is a late clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel medicines for the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases The Company’s drug development program includes two late-stage novel small molecules a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) is being developed for two indications: (i) Phase 2b clinical QUALITY study of enobosarm as a treatment to augment fat loss and to prevent muscle loss in sarcopenic obese or overweight elderly patients receiving a GLP-1 RA who are at-risk for developing muscle atrophy and muscle weakness and (ii) subject to the availability of sufficient funding Phase 3 ENABLAR-2 clinical trial of enobosarm and abemaciclib for the treatment of androgen receptor positive (AR+) estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer in the 2nd line setting is being developed as a Phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of hospitalized patients with viral-induced ARDS The Company does not intend to undertake further development of sabizabulin for the treatment of viral-induced ARDS until we obtain funding from government grants or other similar third-party external sources About Riva Ridge Capital Management LPRiva Ridge is a private investment partnership focused on middle market companies going through business transitions and/or operational improvements * Wegovy® is a registered trademark of Novo Nordisk A/S Samuel FischExecutive Director, Investor Relations and Corporate CommunicationsEmail: veruinvestor@verupharma.com and the teens and young adults who are sexually active aren’t using condoms as regularly It has some public health experts thinking about how to help young people have safe sex Drink protector “condoms” and other sexual wellness items are made available to students at the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford Condoms and other sexual wellness items are made available to students at the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford Condom usage is down for everyone in the U.S. but researchers say the trend is especially stark among teens and young adults Though this might not spell the end of condoms public health experts are thinking about how to help younger generations have safe sex be aware of their options – including condoms – and get regular STI tests and all of us were scared for the longest time,” said Dr “Now we’re trying to move away from that and focus more on what works for you.” The Associated Press examined the factors behind the trend and how public health experts are responding As the fear of contracting HIV has declined condoms are no longer a priority for men who have sex with men there are many options to prevent HIV and other STIs including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy PEP) which can be taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex and can help prevent chlamydia The downward trend is evident among men who have sex with men on apps like Grindr which lists condom use under “kinks” instead of “health.” Researcher Steven Goodreau believes the lack of use is trickling down to younger generations and that the promotion of PrEP has overshadowed condoms as an STI prevention strategy Two federal HIV strategies don’t mention condoms who works at an Orlando-based clinic that cares for Latinos with HIV said condom use among men who have sex with men is “pretty much a thing of the past.” options like intrauterine devices and birth control pills are gaining popularity among younger heterosexual women as methods of pregnancy prevention College-aged women say that young men discourage condom usage and are often insulted by the implication that they might have an STI There are no federal standards for sex education leaving it up to states to decide what is taught students observe condom demonstrations as early as middle school Conservative groups and advocates believe that teaching abstinence until marriage should be the focus of sexual education like the Sexuality Information and Education Council for the United States (SIECUS) say comprehensive sex education prepares young people for healthy relationships “We would never send a soldier into war without training or the resources they need to keep themselves safe .. so why is it OK for us to send young people off to college without the information that they need to protect themselves?” said Michelle Slaybaugh The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The AP is solely responsible for all content are safe and highly effective in preventing transmission of most sexually transmitted infections There are both external (also known as male) condoms and internal (also known as female) condoms When using a condom lubricants (also known as lube) make it less likely that the condom will break slip or fall off and can enhance pleasure during sex This is especially important during anal sex as the rectum Use of a water- or silicone-based lube is recommended as other types may cause the condom to break Lube may also be helpful for individuals who experience vaginal dryness associated with menopause or other skin conditions in the genital area Condoms are highly efficacious in preventing pregnancy the effectiveness of condoms in practice depends on their correct use is greatest when condoms are not used correctly with every act of sex Very few pregnancies or infections occur due to slips or breaks Condoms significantly reduce the risk of most STIs when used consistently and correctly during vaginal 98% of women whose male partners use male condoms will be protected from unplanned pregnancy; when female condoms are used 95% of them will be protected against unplanned pregnancy.  condoms need to follow ISO standards and WHO/UNFPA specifications Condoms are currently the only  available multi-purpose prevention technology against HIV Condom use has been a significant tool to decrease transmission of HIV globally A modelling study that examined the impact of past and future condom use on the AIDS epidemic in 77 high-burden countries noted that increased condom use since 1990 has averted an estimated 117 million new HIV infections close to half (47%) of them in sub-Saharan Africa and more than one third (37%) in Asia and the Pacific (1) over 300 million unplanned pregnancies are estimated to be prevented each year by using contraceptives WHO’s work on condoms is covered by its overarching mandate to provide technical guidance and support Member States to strengthen programmes related to sexual and reproductive health and rights This includes both the prevention and control of STIs as well as contraception and family planning services Condoms are also included in other WHOs programs such as comprehensive sexual education and gender-based violence WHO is also 1 of 5 cosponsors of the Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) which is the main instrument within the United Nations system for research in human reproduction to identify and address priorities for research to improve sexual and reproductive health WHO’s work on controlling the spread of STIs, including HIV, is guided by the Global health sector strategy on HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2022–2030 This includes the scale-up primary prevention such as condom availability and use WHO supports countries’ efforts to create an encouraging environment allowing individuals to discuss STIs seek treatment and provide accessibility of people-centred quality STI care WHO also includes condoms use as part of its contraception and family planning portfolios ensuring that all people have access to their preferred contraceptive methods and the ability to determine if This includes producing evidence-based guidelines on the safety and effectiveness of contraceptive methods and their provision developing quality standards for their manufacture providing pre-qualification of approved contraceptive commodities and helping countries introduce these methods.  In addition, given the recent study showing a decline in condom use among adolescents in Europe WHO Regional Office for Europe calls upon policy-makers educators and health-care providers to prioritize adolescent sexual health by offering evidence-based sexuality education in schools enhancing access to youth-friendly sexual health services providing specialized training for educators and health-care providers and conducting research on factors influencing sexual behaviours including the impact of social media and online content When using a condom WHO’s work on controlling the spread of STIs, including HIV, is guided by the Global health sector strategy on HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2022–2030 In addition, given the recent study showing a decline in condom use among adolescents in Europe Condoms: technical information Sexual health Sexually transmitted infections Contraception Global Sexually Transmitted Infections Programme Mpox (monkeypox) Campaigns Events Multimedia Newsletters Spotlights The European Health Report 2024 Ukraine emergency Second European Programme of Work An urgent report from the WHO Regional Office for Europe reveals that condom use among sexually active adolescents has declined significantly since 2014 with rates of unprotected sex worryingly high This is putting young people at significant risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies The new data were published as part of the multi-part Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study which surveyed over 242 000 15-year-olds across 42 countries and regions in 2014–2022 the report highlights that a substantial proportion of sexually active 15-year-olds are engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse which WHO warns can have far-reaching consequences for young people unsafe abortions and an increased risk of contracting STIs The high prevalence of unprotected sex indicates significant gaps in age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education the new data show a significant decline in the number of adolescents reporting condom use during last sexual intercourse it is clear that the decrease in condom use is pervasive with some experiencing more dramatic reductions than others The report underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to address these concerning trends and promote safer sexual practices among young people within the wider context of equipping them with the foundation they need for optimal health and well-being “While the report’s findings are dismaying they are not surprising,” noted Dr Hans Henri P “Age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education remains neglected in many countries it has increasingly come under attack in recent years on the false premise that it encourages sexual behaviour when the truth is that equipping young persons with the right knowledge at the right time leads to optimal health outcomes linked to responsible behaviour and choices We are reaping the bitter fruit of these reactionary efforts the education sector and other essential stakeholders truly recognize the root causes of the current situation and take steps to rectify it including the likelihood of higher STI rates and – not least – disrupted education and career paths for young persons who do not receive the timely information and support they need.” The findings underscore the importance of providing comprehensive sexual health education and resources for young people having access to accurate information about sexual health is vital,” said Éabha “We need education that covers everything from consent to contraception so we can make informed decisions and protect ourselves.” “Comprehensive sexuality education is key to closing these gaps and empowering all young people to make informed decisions about sex at a particularly vulnerable moment in their lives as they transition from adolescence to adulthood,” said Dr András Költő of the University of Galway “But education must go beyond just providing information Young people need safe spaces to discuss issues like consent and civil society organizations – should help them develop crucial life skills including transparent non-judgmental communication and decision-making.” they also offer a roadmap for the way ahead The report calls for sustainable investments in age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services and enabling policies and environments that support adolescent health and rights “The findings of this report should serve as a catalyst for action Adolescents deserve the knowledge and resources to make informed decisions about their sexual health the tools and the strategies to improve adolescent sexual health outcomes is the political will and the resources to make it happen,” said Dr Margreet de Looze of Utrecht University The WHO Regional Office for Europe calls upon policy-makers educators and health-care providers to prioritize adolescent sexual health by: what we are seeking to achieve for young persons is a solid foundation for life and love,” said Dr Kluge “Sexual and reproductive health and rights informed by the right knowledge at the right time along with the right health and well-being services By empowering adolescents to make informed decisions about their sexual health we ultimately safeguard and improve their overall well-being This is what all parents and families should want for their children A focus on adolescent sexual health in Europe, central Asia and Canada: Health Behaviour in School-aged Children international report from the 2021/2022 survey Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study California schools spend millions on police officers What California can learn from Texas about bilingual education Are California schools becoming more vulnerable to measles Pandemic-era push to ‘build solutions’ must continue How earning a college degree put four California men on a path from prison to new lives | Documentary  Patrick Acuña’s journey from prison to UC Irvine | Video rising risk: Vaccination rates down in California Five Years Later: Covid’s Lasting Impact on Education Calling the cops: Policing in California schools Black teachers: How to recruit them and make them stay Lessons in Higher Education: California and Beyond Five years after Covid: Innovations that are driving results Student Health California’s 1.6 million high school students are starting another year but without a critical school supply that I would argue is necessary for teens: condoms Why should California public high schools be required to provide condoms to students Because condom availability programs are an effective public health strategy supported by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help keep sexually active high school students safe the Golden State has a golden opportunity to protect high school students in California from alarming statistics like these in the form of the YHES Act The Youth Health Equity + Safety (YHES) Act (SB 954) would expand access to condoms by requiring public and charter high schools to make free condoms readily available to students giving them the opportunity to protect themselves from STIs that negatively impact their well-being shorten their lifespan and easily spread to the wider community the California School-Based Health Alliance (CSHA) helps improve health access and equity by supporting schools and health care partners to bring health services to where the kids are — at school The alliance is a proud co-sponsor of this bill because providing condoms in California’s high schools equips young people to make healthier decisions if they choose to be sexually active the majority of schools in California do not An online survey by TeenSource found that 68% of California teens lack access to condoms at their high school and 98% agreed that easier access would increase condom use among sexually active teens SB 954 would require all public and charter high schools to make internal and external condoms readily available to students for free beginning at the start of the 2025-26 school year Condoms would need to be placed in a minimum of two locations on school grounds where they are easily accessible to students during school hours without requiring assistance or permission from school staff The scope of the epidemic requires bold action has moved this sensible bill through the state’s Legislature Menjivar has secured $5 million to cover the costs of distributing free condoms in public high schools for three years The bill also specifies that if funds are not designated for this purpose schools have no obligation to provide free condoms — addressing any concern as to an unfunded mandate we must ensure that California youth have equitable access to condoms in high schools Advocates for youth health and education equity urge Gov Gavin Newsom to sign the YHES Act into law Sergio J. Morales, MPA, is the executive director of the California School-Based Health Alliance (CSHA) a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the health and academic success of children and youth by advancing health services in schools The opinions in this commentary are those of the author. We welcome guest commentaries with diverse points of view. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us We are committed to keeping you informed with the latest — always free Sign up for our daily newsletter today to stay on top of education news Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> We welcome your comments. All comments are moderated for civility, relevance and other considerations. Click here for EdSource's Comments Policy Many school district contracts regarding school resource officers don’t detail officers’ role in routine disciplinary matters There are at least two ongoing court cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct against former school resource officers in California Many districts pay millions each year to put officers on campuses with little oversight from school boards It can be a big challenge to pay for resource officers a grant funded by a tax on cannabis pays for two resource officers to cover several widely spaced school districts Stay ahead of the latest developments on education in California and nationally from early childhood to college and beyond Sign up for EdSource’s no-cost daily email Regional Director for Europe at the World Health Organization (WHO) hold a press conference with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Budapest The findings come in the latest report by WHO Europe on health behavior in school-age children and were drawn from surveys of nearly a quarter-million 15-year-olds across 42 countries between 2014 and 2022 “While results varied widely across the countries and regions the most important observed trend since the (health behavior in school-age children survey) in 2014 is of declines in some countries and regions in condom use among sexually active 15-year-olds,” said Dr which also examined use of the contraceptive pill were “dismaying” but “not surprising,” in light of neglected sexuality education in many countries WHO and the authors urged decision-makers to do more to improve it In the countries where “age-appropriate” sexuality education is available “it has increasingly come under attack in recent years on the false premise that it encourages sexual behavior,” Kluge added the percentage of boys who said they had used a condom in their last sexual intercourse dropped to 61% in 2022 the figure dropped to 57% from 63% over the same span the proportion of teens who reported having intercourse remained “relatively stable” since 2014 — with one in five 15-year-old boys and 15% of girls of the same age reporting having had sex The figure for boys was down slightly from 2018 when one in four reported having had intercourse were more likely to have reported not using a condom — one in three compared to one in four among teens from wealthier backgrounds Condom use among girls was lowest in Albania (24%) and highest in Serbia (81%) the lowest rate of use turned up in Sweden (43%) while the highest rate was in Switzerland (77%) prompting Fox host to say condoms were also being used to bomb Israel Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Donald Trump boasted that his administration had “stopped $50m being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas” doubling down on a claim first made by his press secretary which appears to be contradicted by the facts $45,680 in oral and injectable contraceptives all of it distributed to the government of Jordan The claim was first made by White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, as she tried to justify Trump’s sweeping order to freeze federal funding by citing what she called important new research from Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (or Doge), a special group that Trump has created, and the office of management and budget (OMB). Read more“Doge and OMB also found that there was about to be 50m taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza,” Leavitt claimed “That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money So that’s what this pause is focused on: being good stewards of tax dollars.” While Leavitt did not offer any evidence to support this claim, and did not immediately reply to a request for comment from the Guardian, the idea that the United States government planned to spend $50m to send condoms to Gaza quickly went viral, with an assist from Musk himself The Fox pundit Jesse Watters even claimed that the condoms were being used by Hamas militants as balloons to float explosives into Israel suggests that the claim is almost certainly not true the most recent for which data is available only about $7m worth of condoms were distributed globally by USAid and the vast majority of family-planning funds No USAid funding for family planning was budgeted for Gaza In a thread on Musk’s social-media platform X, state department spokesperson Tammy Bruce cited as “Example 1” of “unjustified and non-emergency spending” that had been blocked: “Condoms Prevented $102 million in unjustified funding to a contractor in Gaza Free newsletterA deep dive into the policies controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration CNN also reported that experts on US aid to Gaza were baffled by the claim. “We have asked around, and no one is sure what this is referring to,” Steve Fake, a spokesperson for Anera, a non-profit that has partnered with USAid on a five-year, $50m health initiative in Gaza told the broadcaster Fake added that the Anera program has “definitely no purchase of condoms” Lifestyles assures users that SKYN condoms are as effective as latex condoms Condom use overall offers an 86% to 97% protection rate depending on whether they are used correctly Keep in mind that non-latex SKYN condoms have a shelf life of about three years for those with spermicide and five years for those without spermicide The World Health Organization puts the estimate of condom failure due to breakage at 2% It depends on what type of sex you have (anal sex may lead to more breakage) and what type of condom you use Since SKYN condoms are very stretchy and fit well they may not break as easily as other options Lifestyles markets its SKYN products as safe for anal sex the first condom specifically indicated to reduce STI transmission during anal sex was approved by the FDA in February 2022 may continue to be used for pregnancy and STI prevention Beksinska M, Wong R, Smit J. Male and female condoms: Their key role in pregnancy and STI/HIV prevention Parisi CAS, Kelly KJ, Ansotegui IJ, Gonzalez-Díaz SN, Bilò MB, Cardona V, et al. Update on latex allergy: New insights into an old problem Skyn. Condoms: Frequently asked questions Xu M, Zhao M, Li RHW, Lin Z, Chung JPW, Li TC, et al. Effects of nonoxynol-9 (N-9) on sperm functions: systematic review and meta-analysis Marfatia YS, Pandya I, Mehta K. Condoms: past, present, and future SKYN. Condoms Siegler AJ, Rosenthal EM, Sullivan PS, Ahlschlager L, Kelley CF, Mehta CC, et al. Double-Blind, Single-Center, Randomized Three-Way Crossover Trial of Fitted, Thin, and Standard Condoms for Vaginal and Anal Sex: C-PLEASURE Study Protocol and Baseline Data Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Condom use Food & Drug Administration. FDA Permits Marketing of First Condom Specifically Indicated for Anal Intercourse American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Latex allergy Wu M, McIntosh J, Liu J. Current prevalence rate of latex allergy: Why it remains a problem? J Occup Health In addition to the risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) adolescents are also exposed to the risks for unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions The report attributed the decline in condom use to inadequate sex education and sexual awareness as well as limited access to contraceptives The data are derived from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study, which surveyed 242,000 15-year-old adolescents from 42 countries between 2014 and 2022. A German study group also participated in the long-term study "While the results of the report are alarming they are not surprising," said Dr Hans Henri P a Belgian physician and WHO regional director for Europe Comprehensive age-appropriate sexual education is still neglected in many countries Kluge emphasized the importance of providing adolescents with the necessary information to halt the "cascade of negative consequences and ultimately disrupted educational and career paths for young people." about 30% of adolescents did not use condoms or birth control pills during their last sexual intercourse Socioeconomic differences were also observed: Adolescents from low-income families were more likely to report not using condoms or birth control pills than adolescents from higher-income families (33% vs 25%) The use of birth control pills remained relatively stable between 2014 and 2022 with 26% of 15-year-olds reporting that they or their partners used birth control pills Germany's Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) recently conducted the Love Life Study, a representative survey that asked 4640 adolescents aged ≥ 16 years about STIs Only 56% of respondents mentioned HIV or AIDS when asked about known STIs Syphilis and gonorrhea were mentioned by 28% Only 11% of respondents could spontaneously name chlamydia which is one of the most common STIs worldwide The human papillomavirus (HPV) was mentioned by only 6% However, about a quarter of the surveyed adolescents were concerned about contracting an STI, and two thirds (66%) had consulted a doctor as a result, as Medscape Medical News reported When asked about protective behaviors against STIs within a committed partnership or with multiple partners only a third (38%) stated that they protect themselves against STIs during intercourse outside their current relationship About 19% of adolescents had a conversation with their partner about STIs before having sex only 37% of adolescents reported using condoms outside a committed relationship to protect against STIs Reasons cited by adolescents for not using condoms included reduced pleasure The authors identified prevention efforts and education about STIs and HIV as challenges such as chlamydia screening and HPV vaccination The report's findings prompted the WHO Regional Office for Europe to call on decision-makers and healthcare professionals to pay more attention to the sexual health of adolescents "Comprehensive sexual education is key to...empowering all young people to make informed decisions about sex during a particularly vulnerable phase: The transition from youth to adulthood," said Dr András Költő a psychologist and health promotion specialist from the University of Galway nonjudgmental communication and appropriate decision-making processes The report authors advocated for investments in comprehensive sexual education to teach young people about contraceptive measures and STIs Sexual education should also cover topics such as consent Adolescents should have increased access to age-appropriate information and safe spaces in and out of school where they can address sensitive and taboo topics Educators and healthcare professionals should be trained in the specific needs and desires of adolescents "Our goal is to provide young people with a solid foundation for life and love," said Kluge "By empowering adolescents to make informed decisions about their sexual health we ultimately protect and enhance their overall well-being." the reasons for the decline in condom usage need further investigation and the content of social media platforms to which adolescents are exposed should be analyzed This story was translated from the Medscape German edition using several editorial tools Human editors reviewed this content before publication Send comments and news tips to news@medscape.net A new meta-analysis evaluating condom use across 249 studies and more than a quarter million U.S teens finds that simply having knowledge about safer sex practices is not enough to encourage condom use The analysis suggests teens also need to feel confident about buying and using condoms and they need to be able to communicate effectively with their partners about condom use Condoms are effective at preventing pregnancy and protecting against sexually transmitted infections but only about half of sexually active teens in the U.S Our goal with this work was to figure out exactly what predicts condom use among teens This is important because sexually transmitted infections are on the rise among teens and this study will help us understand which aspects of sexual health decision-making should be targeted in sex education programs our analysis really underscores the importance of effective communication between partners about condom use which tells us that future programs should prioritize developing this skill set in teens." corresponding author of the meta-analysis and professor of psychology at North Carolina State University the researchers drew on data from 249 studies published between 2000 and 2024 those studies involved 251,713 study participants with a mean age of just over 16 The researchers synthesized the data from those studies using statistical techniques to examine 36 different predictors of condom use The researchers then conducted a series of analyses designed to identify factors that were most closely associated with condom use "We found that having knowledge about safe sex was not correlated with condom use across studies," Widman says "We know that just giving people knowledge alone is not enough to change their behavior." the researchers did identify several factors that are associated with condom use "Teens who used a condom the first time they had sex were far more likely to use condoms consistently over time," Widman says "This underscores the importance of early interventions before teens have their first sexual experiences." Other notable predictors were whether teens planned to use condoms prior to having sex whether teens were communicating with their partners about condom use and teens' confidence in their ability to engage in safer sex The researchers found that all of these predictors held true across age "This meta-analysis combines more than 20 years of research to help us better understand how teens make decisions in sexual relationships," Widman says "The findings highlight the need to boost teens' interpersonal skills and confidence and to do so early in their development so they can make the best sexual choices for themselves." "Identifying the Strongest Correlates of Condom Use Among U.S Adolescents: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," is published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics The paper was co-authored by NC State Ph.D students Jordyn McCrimmon and Aaron Lankster; Julia Brasieiro a postdoctoral researcher at Florida State University and a Ph.D graduate of NC State; Reina Evans-Paulson of Innovation Research and Training; Anne Maheux of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Claire Stout and Sophia Choukas-Bradley of the University of Pittsburgh This research was done with support from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development under grant R03 HD105784; the National Institutes of Health under grants F31 MH126763 and F31 HD114366; and the National Science Foundation under grants 1940700 and 2139321 North Carolina State University Widman, L., et al. (2025). Identifying the Strongest Correlates of Condom Use Among US Adolescents. JAMA Pediatrics. doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.5594 Posted in: Child Health News | Medical Research News | Healthcare News Cancel reply to comment Learn how experts are advancing benzodiazepine analysis and detection using insights from the lab discusses how he is addressing today’s medical challenges using the technology of the future Explore how the Radian ASAP mass spectrometer is being used to streamline and enhance seized drug screening you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net please log into your AZoProfile account first Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content A few things you need to know before we start Read the full Terms & Conditions they are meant to break at any sudden movements..." Excessive jumping continues The official correspondent for anti-sex-beds at the Olympic Games plus the little matter of trying to add Olympic gold on the pommel horse to his two world titles also comprehensively tested the beds in France's capital "I'm at the Paris Olympic Games Once again they have these cardboard anti-sex beds," he says with air quotes around the offending phrase Maybe I wasn't rigorous enough though." Cue a period of running on the spot The results from the hardy testing by some of the strongest fittest people on earth proved conclusive; the beds are unbreakable and therefore can officially be declassified from 'anti-sex' to What the Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games are doing is making sure that those who do partake in extra-curricular frivolities are safe when they do so 20,000 female condoms and 10,000 oral dams available to those in the Olympic Village safe sex is paramount in a notoriously febrile environment there's branding opportunities to be had and the condom packaging is no exception - and the athletes are loving it the official mascots of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games feature on the packets that are distributed in every room and 'No need to be a gold medalist to wear it!' So a mix of playful captions but also sober reminders for everyone to be respectful and careful in the heady Olympic summer days in France's City of Love White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday defended President Donald Trump’s order to freeze federal funding claiming that $50 million had been earmarked for the distribution of condoms in the besieged Gaza Strip a review of the latest publicly available data from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on condom shipments the only shipment to the Middle East that year was a $45,680 delivery to Jordan which was noted as the first condom shipment to the region since 2019 The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) found "that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza," Leavitt told reporters during her inaugural press conference "That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money." But she did not provide any evidence to support the claim Anadolu reached out to the White House for clarification but did not immediately receive a response USAID’s 2023 report shows that the US delivered over $60 million in contraceptives and condoms globally The Trump administration has frozen nearly all foreign assistance programs for at least 90 days sending shockwaves across the world as countries grapple with an abrupt halt to a range of programs funded by Washington from development to humanitarian assistance The US is the largest source of international assistance which annually receive $3.3 billion and $1.3 billion in foreign military financing the global condom market size reached a value of USD 11.5 billion in 2023 Aided by the growing demand for contraceptive solutions and the increasing awareness regarding sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) the market is projected to further grow at a CAGR of 7.8% between 2024 and 2032 to reach a value of USD 22.6 billion by 2032 The increasing focus on sexual health and the need to prevent STDs are key factors driving the global condom market growth Governments and health organizations are undertaking various initiatives to raise awareness about the importance of safe sex coupled with evolving attitudes toward sexual well-being is contributing to the steady market expansion.Furthermore the growing emphasis on family planning in both developed and developing countries is leading to an increase in the condom market revenue Governments and non-profit organizations across the globe have been actively promoting the use of condoms as a cost-effective and reliable contraceptive method further accelerating market growth.The increasing popularity of premium and innovative condoms is shaping the global condom market dynamics condom manufacturers are focusing on product innovation to enhance user experience as well as those with added textures and flavours to improve pleasure These innovations are gaining traction among consumers particularly in developed markets where there is higher disposable income and greater awareness of premium products.In addition to innovations in product design sustainability is emerging as an important factor in the market development With the rise of environmentally conscious consumers manufacturers are developing eco-friendly condoms made from sustainable materials These products appeal to a growing segment of consumers who prioritize sustainability in their purchasing decisions This is one of the key condom market trends.Moreover online retail channels are playing an increasingly important role in the distribution of condoms The convenience of discreet online shopping coupled with the availability of a wide range of products has led to a significant shift towards online channels As more consumers turn to digital platforms for purchasing personal health products online sales are expected to contribute substantially to the market development in the coming years.The Asia-Pacific currently dominates the condom market share driven by the region's large population and increasing awareness of sexual health Countries such as China and India are witnessing a growing demand for condoms fuelled by government-led initiatives promoting family planning and safe sex practices the increasing presence of international condom brands in these markets is contributing to market growth.As per the global condom market analysis North America and Europe also hold a significant market share largely due to higher levels of sexual health awareness and the presence of well-established healthcare infrastructures consumers are more inclined to purchase premium and innovative condom products is expected to witness a substantial growth over the forecast period This is primarily due to the region's high prevalence of HIV and other STDs along with increasing efforts by government and non-government organizations to promote safe sex practices As healthcare access improves and awareness grows the demand for condoms in Africa is projected to rise significantly.For health and wellness companies there are numerous opportunities for the market expansion The growing focus on female contraception and the introduction of female condoms represent a significant growth area While male condoms currently dominate the market female condoms are gaining recognition as an important option for safe sex providing women with more control over their sexual health.The global condom market value is expected to increase driven by rising awareness of sexual health With a focus on product innovation and sustainability manufacturers are well-positioned to capitalize on evolving consumer preferences ensuring the market's continued expansion through 2032.Market SegmentationMarket Breakup by Type Competitive LandscapeThe report looks into the market shares of the leading companies operating in the global condom market Some of the major players explored in the report are as follows: About ResearchAndMarkets.comResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets Parents have raised concerns about their children coming home with condoms after attending a school field trip to a basketball game More than 650 middle school and elementary school students from across Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties attended a game last week hosted by the Jamestown Jackals The stands at Jamestown Community College were filled with school-aged students Before the game students had the opportunity to walk through tables with literature from area non-profits who took part in a wellness fair One of the tables manned by the Chautauqua County Health Department was giving away condoms before recognizing the age of the students attending the game At that point the department packed up its tables and left – but not before a number of students took the condoms home Thursday at the Jamestown Community College’s Athletic Complex did acknowledge that while condoms were passed out at the Chautauqua County Health Department’s table that no contraceptives were thrown out to the public by any team official and that once Health Department officials figured out that condoms weren’t appropriate for the largely middle school group of students “We want to address concerns regarding yesterday’s School Day Game and Wellness Fair,” Crosby wrote in a post on the Jackals’ Facebook page on Friday “A community organization that participated in the event had prepared materials for college students mistakenly assuming that they would be the primary audience Once they – CCHD officials – realized the age group in attendance T-shirts were the only items thrown into the crowd by our staff We appreciate everyone who joined us and look forward to continuing to provide positive experiences for our community.” A message obtained by The Post-Journal attributed the incident to county officials thinking the game and wellness fair was aimed at college students leading Health Department officials to gear their table toward sexually transmitted diseases “Soon after the event started we realized that our information was not appropriate for the audience in attendance I apologize for any misunderstanding and hope that you do not get any complaints about it,” the health department employee said in a message to team officials County Health Department officials said they want to continue working with area organizations to help promote better health outcomes in a statement obtained Monday by The Post-Journal though the statement doesn’t say anything about last week’s incident “The Health Department remains committed to providing health outreach and education to our community,” said Lacey Wilson “We are always happy to attend events and work in collaboration with our valued community partners When reaching young people and college students we strive to provide relevant information that reinforces what they would be learning in their health and science classes This approach helps to ensure they are receiving credible information that promotes safe and healthy choices We thank the Jamestown Jackals and the Suicide Prevention Alliance for hosting this event and look forward to many more.” Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of New York | https://www.observertoday.com | PO Box 391 By President Donald Trump said his administration blocked $50 million for condoms to be sent to Gaza through its pause on foreign aid But it has provided no evidence that $50 million was ever directed toward condoms for Gaza The contractor identified by the State Department said it has not used U.S aid “to procure or distribute condoms.” At her first official briefing as White House press secretary on Jan. 28, Karoline Leavitt defended President Donald Trump’s pause on funding for foreign aid. As an example of why a freeze on aid to other nations was needed Leavitt told reporters that the Department of Government Efficiency and the Office of Management and Budget “found that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza. That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money that’s what this pause is focused on: being good stewards of tax dollars.” “We identified and stopped $50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas,” Trump said “They’ve used them as a method of making bombs.” Social media posts widely shared a clip of Leavitt’s press briefing and echoed the claim, “President Trump had to stop $50 million in American dollars from going to Gaza to fund condoms But the Trump administration has not provided any evidence that $50 million was ever directed by the U.S government for the purchase of condoms for the war-torn Gaza Strip The contractor identified by the government as the recipient of the funding said it provides hospital services in Gaza and has not used U.S funds “to procure or distribute condoms.” Other U.S agencies provide little to no funding for condoms in the Middle East A White House official directed reporters to X posts by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce “American taxpayer dollars spent overseas should be spent wisely The pause in foreign assistance has allowed the @StateDept to prevent unjustified and non-emergency spending.” The first example Bruce offered: “Condoms Bruce did not name the contractor in her posts. But the Washington Post reported that Bruce’s office said she was referring to “$102,236,000 to fund the International Medical Corps in Gaza.” Todd Bernhardt, a spokesperson for the International Medical Corps, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that responds to emergency medical needs around the world, emailed a statement to us addressing questions about its services The organization has received more than $68 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID to support IMC’s medical operations in Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct That funding has supported the operation of two field hospitals that treat about 33,000 patients each month the organization “has provided healthcare to more than 383,000 civilians who had no other access to services or treatment including performing about 11,000 surgeries with one-third of those categorized as major or moderate procedures We have assisted in the delivery of some 5,000 babies International Medical Corps has screened 111,000 people for malnutrition distributed micronutrient supplements to 36,000 people “No government funding was used to procure or distribute condoms,” the statement said would stop IMC’s work in Gaza’s hospitals including delivering babies and caring for vulnerable newborns The Washington Post noted that the U.S. has a program, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which distributes condoms in other countries to help prevent the spread of HIV infection. But PEPFAR does not work with any nations in the Middle East. Contraceptives and condoms also are delivered around the world through the support of USAID. The most recent report issued by the agency in April 2024 said the total value of contraceptives and condoms provided internationally in the previous fiscal year amounted to $60.8 million The report said 89% of the funding for contraceptives went to Africa 9% to Asia and 2% to Latin American countries So it’s unlikely that a shipment in the amount of $50 million in condoms would be directed to Gaza in 2025 We reached out to the White House press secretary’s office for further comment Ingram, Julia. “What we know about Trump’s claim that the U.S. planned to spend $50 million on condoms for Gaza.” CBS News International Medical Corps. “International Medical Corps Operation in Gaza.” Press release Kessler, Glenn. “$50 million for condoms in Gaza? There’s no evidence for the White House claim.” Washington Post Roll Call. “Press Briefing: Karoline Leavitt Holds a Press Briefing at The White House – January 28, 2025.” 28 Jan 2025 USAID. “Overview of Contraceptive and Condom Shipments. FY 2023.” Apr 2024 U.S. Department of State. U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Where We Work. Accessed 30 Jan 2025 Wallace, Danielle. “State Dept pulls millions in funding for ‘condoms in Gaza,’ as Trump admin looks to trim spending.” Fox News White House. Presidential Actions. “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid.” Executive Order Wong, Edward and Apoorva Mandavilli. “U.S. Halt to Foreign Aid Cripples Programs Worldwide.” New York Times Q: Is it true the rumor that all Social Security beneficiaries will have to go to a location to verify their identity to receive their monthly check A: The Social Security Administration had announced new policies on identity verification that would have required those applying for retirement and survivor benefits for the first time to verify their identity either online or in person at a field office Phone verification wasn’t going to be an option any longer the SSA canceled that policy days before it was to take effect Direct deposit changes can only be done online or in person.  Balloons carrying an incendiary device float in the air upon release by Palestinians near Gaza's Bureij refugee camp on August 12 Secretary of State Marco Rubio's decision to freeze foreign aid over the weekend included pulling millions of dollars-worth of US funding for condoms in Gaza White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the funding pause during her first briefing Tuesday "That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money being good stewards of tax dollars," Leavitt said Over the past decade, Hamas has used condoms to create IED-carrying balloons that winds would fly into southern Israel These improvised explosive devices burned thousands of hectares of land and caused extensive damage The State Department's review comes in response to President Donald Trump's executive order "Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid," issued last week directing a 90-day pause on most US foreign assistance disbursed through the State Department A White House official told Fox News Digital that a separate memo from the Office of Management and Budget will temporarily pause grants and federal assistance programs pending review "If the activity is not in conflict with the President's priorities it will continue with no issues," the official said The State Department confirmed Sunday that Rubio had specifically exempted only emergency food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt from the freeze on foreign assistance which involved Hamas terrorists brutally raping some of the approximately 1,200 people killed in southern Israel and hundreds of others brought back into Gaza as hostages the International Planned Parenthood Federation released a statement regarding the resulting war each frontline operative now receives about $61 monthly The Wall Street Journal reports the terror organization was mainly dependent on humanitarian aid sold for cash The Lebanese President announced that in 2025 weapons would be concentrated exclusively in state hands maintaining that Hezbollah's disarmament "will.. Analysis  Archaeology Blogpost Business & Finance Culture Exclusive Explainer Environment Features Health In Brief Jewish World Judea and Samaria Lifestyle Cyber & Internet Sports Diplomacy  Iran & The Gulf Gaza Strip Politics Shopping Terms of use Privacy Policy Submissions Contact Us The first issue of Israel Hayom appeared on July 30 Israel Hayom was founded on the belief that the Israeli public deserves better more balanced and more accurate journalism [contact-form-7 id=”508379″ html_id=”isrh_form_Newsletter_en” title=”newsletter_subscribe”] We’re back for another recap of Love Is Blind‘s DC season on Netflix, and this week, our five betrothed couples are traveling from Mexico to Washington—er, Arlington—to see if their connections can survive the real world. Need a refresh on the first six episodes? Read our previous recap ⬇️ We have half as many episodes as last week Shall we start with the messiest drama first? Last we saw Stephen and Monica, the latter was complaining her fiancé talked too much. Now she’s found a new gripe, and I’d like to amend our Love Is Blind drinking game to include another item: Take a sip every time Monica mentions flowers and her desire to receive them please don’t do that—I’d rather not take responsibility for what would happen to you he would,” but where is Stephen supposed to get flowers at this beach resort Are they sending a PA to buy out every flower shop in Cabo Are they periodically locking Stephen in a supply closet The lack of flowers is a big problem because “receiving gifts” is her third love language Stephen responds that he knows he doesn’t have to get her something high quality such as a Kate Spade bag these are not words of affirmation (her second love language) because she’s more of a YSL or Louis Vuitton girl anyways Back in DC, production takes pity on the young and the flowerless, and Stephen brings Monica to Adams Morgan shop Plntr for a pressed flower tutorial “I kind of forgot about the flower thing,” he says I’m concerned he’s not getting enough rest and maybe should take a sleep test it’s going to be all chill for this couple Remember when I said Stephen needs more sleep Stephen gets drunk (?) to take a sleep test (??) and texts someone messages “filled with fetishes,”(???) according to Monica “I would like you to Venmo me the money you owe me for me carrying your weight the last couple days,” she says “If you wouldn’t mind taking out your phone now to send me the Venmo.” Reader True passive aggressives know that the highest echelon of petty behavior takes place on Venmo and I have to respect Monica’s power move here I hope she uses the Venmo cash to buy herself flowers This is also a metaphor for the sinking ship they are on The first hole in the hull appears back in DC while eating dinner in their apartment. Marissa tells Ramses she is patriotic and proud of her military service but she doesn’t support what the military does in other countries she does support the troops and their sacrifices Ramses is…not impressed by this statement He gives her an anti-imperialist stare and reminds her people sign up to do this but she pushes back that they don’t sign up to kill people Marissa and Ramses meet her friends at a bar with Halloween décor which is a little too literal for this spooky conversation They discuss his negative reaction to Marissa’s military service “Your politics are tied to your ethics,” he says and compared to Marissa’s mom Vanessa Vanessa greets the newly-engaged couple in the traditional fashion: “You guys look like siblings it’s kind of weird.” After her family drags his aesthetic for a moment—El DeBarge and I pray she’s not trying to become a divorce lawyer “I don’t believe in forever.” Instead she threatens to cut off Ramses’s balls if he hurts her daughter and then the music kicks in: “Cut ya I will cut you clean.” Shout out to the music supervisor who had to scroll through castration-themed songs but at least our Official Horny Couple has the bedroom to lean on…or do they Marissa needs to talk to her doctor about birth control even though she really doesn’t want to get back on it she’d like for Ramses to wear condoms Ramses is not interested in a condom to colonize his sword the Bohdan showdown is written in the stars We know Marissa connected with him about their shared military service so it’s only a matter of time before he makes his reappearance and threatens this pairing But Bohdan isn’t the only thing that could doom this union I crowned Ramses this season’s Feminist King in the last recap but I’m taking the crown back for this condom nonsense For me to truly believe a romantic reality show there needs to be at least one couple that seems genuinely in love I’m kind of bored—until the last five minutes of Episode 9 if you’re part of the chronically online contingency and have spent a good amount of time on TikTok or one of the Love Is Blind subreddits (guilty!) you’ll know there have been rumors about Tyler being a father of three This is a good example of how disinformation can become a dastardly game of telephone We learn the truth: Tyler donated sperm to people he knows and they used it to become the parents of two girls and a boy Ashley is upset because Tyler never told her despite their many discussions about children Drama forecast: Is this really a big deal It sounds like she was caught off-guard—they don’t reveal to us how Ashley found—and needs a moment to grapple with it Taylor and Garrett head to his native Fredericksburg but the City of Fredericksburg is really catching strays this season “You’re a DC girl,” Garrett says to the San Diego transplant He goes on to mislabel her a—GASP—analyst (That’s the sound of consultants at Accenture and Deloitte picking up their pitchforks.) Once in F-Burg his mom shares her concerns about the speed of their relationship Though the betrothed are currently living in the Rixey apartment building in Arlington with the rest of the couples Taylor brings Garrett to her rowhouse in Shaw (more on that in our “Top 3 DC moments” below) I am looking at Garrett through new eyes: Taylor and I have the same cow print desk chair Should I be looking for a man like Garrett They discuss how he’s has only lived in Fredericksburg they both seemed excited about moving to San Diego but he says his family would be disappointed Taylor assures him: “Because I do federal affairs Drama forecast: The San Diego conversation comes up again during a date at what looks to be Ciel Social Club in Mount Vernon Triangle but all seems fine when they go to meet her friends I’m still feeling good about this pairing The family concerns are natural given the unique way they met and her friends seem to believe she is genuinely happy We left this couple on the rocks after a blowout fight but they decided to have another conversation and keep things on track Alex has mentioned that it’s important for Tim to meet her father so it’s a high-pressure moment back in Washington Not only does Richard not know she is engaged he doesn’t even know about the Love Is Blind experiment Tim’s proposal featured a letter to Alex’s father It’s a really beautiful moment for a couple that’s had a rough start Drama forecast: My allergies were acting up when Richard gave his blessing but in the back of my mind I can’t help but think Alex just lost her out Maybe they can ask resident science nerds Garrett and Taylor for some help Nick Dorka and Hannah head to Vienna to visit Chez Dorkas namely the one in his parents’ house Rice Properties Group” business cards for Hannah Hannah seems unconvinced Nick Dorka is actually an adult and they discuss finances back at the apartment This conversation goes so well that at some point Hannah has to pause and ask Nick Dorka if he even knows what stocks are Nick Dorka does himself no favors by being unable to boil a pot of pasta “I’ve done it once,” he says Drama forecast: Neither of these people are ready for marriage so it’s hard to watch the buildup to what will inevitably be a dramatic moment at the altar There’s a lot of back and forth about chores and if I wanted to listen to bickering about domestic tasks Hannah seems to be annoyed by everything Nick Dorka does and I think he should figure out the pot of pasta thing before he says any “I do.” I got a quick glance at Nick’s bookshelf and Taylor’s stack of reads Nick mentions many of the books are from his school days and he seems to have a penchant for sports stories and fantasy Taylor is into more of the non-fiction genre with a focus on self-help If you’re considering a Love Is Blind book club Nick Dorka: The Oedipus Cycle by Sophocles, Dragon Keeper by Caroline Wilkinson Favorite Poems of Childhood by Philip Smith Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Vile Village by Daniel Handler Taylor: Social Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control by Ryan Holiday Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Greaves Jean and Travis Bradberry The Daily Stoic Journal: 366 Days of Writing and Reflection on the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman Super Attractor: Methods for Manifesting a Life Beyond Your Wildest Dreams by Gabrielle Bernstein Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear Stephen voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020 Is he casting a ballot for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris this year and would his 2024 endorsement be considered an October surprise Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022 She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Takoma Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Sexual health educator Brittany Beyus provides free condoms to teenagers fewer sexually active teens and young adults are using condoms Fifty-two percent of sexually active high schoolers said they used a condom the last time they had sex "I really desperately wish that I was surprised by it," said Beyus a youth program manager with Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood "But the number of students that are absolutely cavalier and nonchalant about their health care is a little bit wild." Beyus says more young people are focused on pregnancy prevention sexually transmitted illnesses are on the rise People 15 to 24 years old account for nearly half of new STIs in the U.S As the founder and executive director of PRISM a non-profit dedicated partly to expanding sexual health resources 22-year-old Maxx Fenning is tackling tough topics on TikTok "I talk about the things that a lot of times our schools don't want to broach," said Fenning his talks are reaching tens of thousands of them have never had to to witness someone pass due to an AIDS-related illness Of course I know folks that are living with HIV but are able to lead happy and healthy lives with that that the stakes are just not as high," said Fenning In the teen clinic at Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Beyus has gained some insight into the generational differences attributing to the trends "There's so many things that they have had to care about and have had to kind of like improvise overcome that now things that I would be absolutely panicked about at their age 'it's just another thing add it to the list," said Beyus New York schools are not required to teach sex education but in the districts who choose to provide it Beyus said the teenagers want to be armed with knowledge "Sometimes the questions I get asked are absolutely off the wall lie flat on the earth for 3-5 business days to recover but they just want honest answers," said Beyus Beyus believes it’s knowledge that will lead to safer sex "I just want you to be able to make whatever choices are right for you that's the best we can do," said Beyus "Whether or not you choose to listen and absorb this information we want to make sure that you have it so that you're able to make whatever choices are right for you in that moment." EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been edited to correct wording in a quote from Maxx Fenning Statement: "DOGE and OMB also found that there was about to be $50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza.” There is no evidence that President Donald Trump’s foreign aid freeze stopped $50 million worth of condoms from going to Gaza despite White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s statement during her first press briefing "We identified and stopped $50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas. $50 million," Trump told reporters Jan They've used them as a method of making bombs." Trump was likely referring to a February 2020 Jerusalem Post article that said Hamas had been launching improvised explosive devices in condoms But there’s no evidence that the U.S. had earmarked or spent $50 million for condoms for Gaza. A State Department spokesperson said on X that the freeze stopped $100 million in funding to Gaza There is a U.S. program that provides contraceptives internationally — and it spent $60 million worldwide in one year — but Gaza was not among the recipients, a 2024 U.S. Agency for International Development report said Here’s what we know about the funding the White House froze to Gaza White House stopped $100 million of health aid to GazaState Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in an X post that the department "prevented $102 million in unjustified funding to a contractor in Gaza The state Department declined to say on the record what the full scope of those grants was and it did not provide documentation PolitiFact requested before deadline Multiple news outlets reported that State Department officials said the administration stopped two $50 million tranches of funding for the International Medical Corps’ work in Gaza The funding included family planning programming sexual health care and sexually transmitted disease prevention The International Medical Corps operates a range of emergency health services in Gaza but spokesperson Todd Bernhardt told PolitiFact it has not used U.S The organization is not focused on contraception and there’s no evidence that $50 million of the funding was intended to pay for condoms The International Medical Corps operates two field hospitals in Gaza which serve about 33,000 civilians per month It performs emergency maternal and newborn care and it has helped deliver about 5,000 babies since the war in Gaza began It operates a neonatal intensive care unit and a stabilization center for severely malnourished children The group also provides care in pediatrics we will be unable to sustain these activities beyond the next week or so," Bernhardt said Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023 the International Medical Corps has received $68 million to support its operations PolitiFact wasn't able to review the details of the grant Leavitt referred to but it is unlikely the group would get close to three-fourths of all the funding it’s received so far for condoms alone And the State Department did not respond to our request for more details on the grant The Trump administration on Jan. 29 withdrew its memo that directed a freeze on most federal aid a day after a judge blocked the effort, but Leavitt said on X the funding freeze was still in place The State Department did not say whether the planned Gaza aid would resume For decades, the U.S. has invested in reproductive health and family planning programs worldwide. Public health groups distribute condoms in low-income countries primarily to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases The U.S. "is the largest donor to (family planning/reproductive health) in the world. It is also one of the largest purchasers and distributors of contraceptives internationally," according to a 2024 KFF report spends about $600 million annually on international family planning and reproductive health programs globally plus other interventions beyond contraception According to USAID, it partners with 41 countries for its family planning and reproductive health program Neither Israel nor Gaza and the West Bank are on the list In fiscal 2023, which ended in September 2023, the U.S. government spent $60 million on contraceptive care, which includes condoms, a 2024 USAID report said A small portion of that — $8.2 million — was spent on male and female condoms with the rest going to other contraception methods got the smallest funding share — about $45,000 All the Mideast funding went to Jordan; the report didn’t mention any funding to Israel or Gaza Most of USAID’s Family Planning Program funding is used on contraceptives other than condoms such as oral contraceptives injectable contraceptives and contraceptive implants Leavitt said officials found "there was about to be $50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza."  The White House and State Department didn’t provide evidence the funding it blocked was intended solely for condoms. A State Department spokesperson said that the freeze stopped $100 million in funding to Gaza that included funding for contraception. But there’s no evidence the emergency relief group that would have received that aid would have used it for condoms; a spokesperson for the group said it has not used any U.S. aid so far to procure or distribute condoms. A separate U.S. program that provides contraceptives internationally spent $60 million worldwide in one year, but Gaza was not among the recipients. The Trump administration clarified the claim on Wednesday, saying the $50 million was part of a broader aid package Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. The Trump administration clarified the claim on Wednesday saying the $50 million was part of a broader aid package I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump on Wednesday repeated a blockbuster claim about the government sending $50 million worth of condoms to the Gaza Strip despite outstanding questions as to whether the colossal figure was accurate Speaking during a signing ceremony for the Laken Riley Act in the East Room on Wednesday, he repeated a boast about the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency having stopped what he described as $50 million that had been set to be “sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas.” He further claimed that the terror group was using the contraceptives to fashion improvised bombs - which is backed by reports of condoms being used as makeshift balloons to carry explosive devices over the wall that separates Gaza from Israel It was a blockbuster claim that seemed to exemplify the exact sort of profligate spending that Trump’s self-styled “America First” administration was elected to prevent. The president’s Wednesday statement came after the administration appeared to downplay what Leavitt had said about the alleged $50 million worth of condoms from being shipped to Gaza. Moreover, the claims about the alleged condom shipment did not appear to match what the government had previously said about its aid efforts in Gaza. A September 2024 U.S. Agency for International Development report says not one dollar of the $60.8 million used to fund condoms and contraceptives distributed by the agency worldwide last year was allocated to the Palestinian territory. The same report shows that the only contraceptives sent to the Middle East were distributed to the Jordanian government in the form of $45,680 worth of oral and injectable medications — not condoms. The official also claimed the $100 million in funding for the corps was “a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars” which “does not serve President Trump’s goal to promote peace in the Middle East.” The Trump administration’s clarification tracks what Andrew Miller, the ex-Biden administration State Department official who served as deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, told The Times of Israel on Wednesday. In an interview, he said that Leavitt’s claim about $50 million in condoms bound for Gaza was “outlandish” and “a feverish dream” on the part of the new administration. “It’s possible that $50 million is put aside for sexual health or something of that nature, which would include gynecology and many other services, but definitely not condoms alone,” he said. Jeremy Konyndyk, the former Biden administration official who now leads Refugees International, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that because USAID procures condoms for “around $0.05 apiece” the $50m figure quoted by the Trump officials and the president would amount to a purchase of one billion condoms. “What's going is here is NOT a billion condoms for Gaza. What's going on is that the bros at DOGE apparently can't read govt spreadsheets,” he added. Musk, who is also the owner of X, posted that the false condom expenditure was the “tip of the iceberg” for waste and claimed that “a lot of that money ended up in the pockets of Hamas.” There is no evidence to support either of those assertions. Leavitt also announced on Tuesday that the Trump administration had blocked a $37 million pending payment to the World Health Organization after the president signed an executive order cutting ties with the global health body on his first day in office. The blocked funds are being withheld under an Office of Management and Budget memo that White House officials have said temporarily pauses grants, loans and federal assistance programs so they can be reviewed to see if they align with Trump’s political priorities. Leavitt’s condom comments came at the top of her first White House press briefing, during which she said that “new media voices” including “independent journalists, podcasters and social media influencers” would be welcomed into the sessions held in the iconic James Brady Briefing Room. The room has always been open to any person who asks for and receives a “day pass” to enter the White House grounds for the purpose of attending briefings. She also announced that she’d be allocating two seats normally used by staff for podcasters, influencers, and other “new media” outlets that aren’t among the news organizations that have been assigned use of one of the room’s 49 seats that are managed by the White House Correspondents Association. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies govt and politics"},{"score":0.76876,"label":"/law govt and politics/armed forces"},{"score":0.688839,"label":"/law govt and politics/government/government contracting and procurement"},{"score":0.684699,"label":"/society/sex"},{"score":0.621732,"label":"/society/sex/sex education"},{"score":0.546826,"label":"/law German condom brand BILLY BOY and Innocean Berlin are launching the CAMDOM App: a first-of-its-kind digital condom that protects from the recording of non-consensual content during sex by blocking mobile devices videos or audio without consent with a smartphone has never been easier which has led to an alarming situation among teens around the world: Once content is leaked it spreads like a virus making it impossible to track – causing emotional distress the loss of jobs and even suicidal thoughts among the victims BILLY BOY and Innocean Berlin have introduced an app that can put an end to this disturbing public health issue The CAMDOM app is as easy to use as a regular condom users place their smartphones close to each other and swipe down a virtual button to block all cameras and microphones an alarm signals a potential threat of non-consensual recording It can simultaneously block as many devices as needed smartphones have become an extension of our body and we store a lot of sensitive data on them In order to protect you from the recording of non-consensual content we've created the first app that can block your camera and mic simply through the use of Bluetooth.” As a brand whose mission is to help people unlock their pleasure BILLY BOY sees the CAMDOM App as a proof point of its commitment - because in an always-online world “BILLY BOY is a brand known to protect people in the analogue world so we wanted to take the next step and protect the digital generation from a threat that a normal condom can’t tackle the leakage of non-consensual media during sex.” “At Innocean Berlin we’re all about solving problems not just for our clients That’s why it was important for us to develop this app together with BILLY BOY to protect users from non-consensual content leakage - all by integrating technology in a way which has never been done before,” adds Gabriel CAMDOM by BILLY BOY is being promoted during Sexual Health Awareness Month through an integrated social media campaign stickers and posters will be placed in nightclubs busy streets and sexual health centres; encouraging the audience to download the digital condom straight away CAMDOM by BILLY BOY is now available on Android and will be launching soon on iOS expanding at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2024 to 2030 The increasing prevalence of diseases such as HIV & gonorrhea in the country the presence of key players in the market such as Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC and Roam and their development activities are major driving factors for market growth horticultural-inspired condoms were launched in the UK to reduce the stigma around sex conversations among the elderly population and promote safe sex in the country The step was taken in response to the rising STI rates among this age group the government and private players in the UK are also engaged in the launch of several campaigns and products to reduce the spread of STIs in the country which is further expected to drive market growth the local governments of Blackburn and Darwen launched the 'Play It Safe' campaign to promote the regular use of condoms and normalize STI testing among residents Such campaigns are expected to help drive demand for condoms in the country.UK Condom Market Report Highlights Best Condom OverallLelo Hex CondomsRead more Best Graphene CondomONE FlexRead more Best Ultrathin CondomOkamoto 004Read more Best Non-Latex Condom (and Widely Available)Durex Real FeelRead more They’re a relatively inexpensive method of birth control and can greatly lower the risk of sexually transmitted infections And there’s never been a better selection of materials and quality there’s a decent chance you’re using subpar ones we have tested to find the best condoms and have recommendations for everyone Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today When we consider condoms for this guide, we look at a variety of factors including durability, comfort, and ease of use. Some of these factors will vary by person, so you should still try out any condoms you get for yourself to see what works best for you. With that in mind, here are some of the factors we evaluate: This condom comes in a Regular size, but if you need a larger one, Lelo has the Respect XL line that is 2.28 inches wide and 10 percent longer. It is the same condom, just with different branding. Despite research dating back well over a decade The One Flex condoms are the first—and seemingly only (so far)—graphene condoms on the market they use latex bonded with graphene to improve durability these condoms lived up to those claims surprisingly well they’re a dark gray and feel extremely durable and while I could rip the One Flex condom apart I had to work harder at it than the others It also felt impossibly thin and was easy to put on They come in a Pringles-style canister and circular packets with a handy notch to tear open it also felt like the condoms got warmer quicker alleviating that briefly uncomfortable moment of putting cold latex on your body If there were more graphene condoms around and more scientific research into how effective they are broadly I might be tempted to make this my top condom recommendation overall No, the Okamoto 004 condoms aren’t named after international spies The moniker refers to the 0.04-millimeter-thin walls that make it feel like it’s barely there thanks to the company's proprietary Sheerlon latex material this and the One Flex were the two thinnest they’re durable and long even in the standard size They transfer feeling exceptionally well and have an extremely snug fit Most condoms come lubricated, and the silicone lube coating on the 004 helps with longer sessions, as it lasts a little longer than water-based lubricant. With some of the condoms I tested, I occasionally needed to apply extra lube, but not with these. The best condom is one you’ll use, but you can’t use a condom you don’t have. Many of our above picks are only available online, but if you find yourself making last-minute plans and can’t wait for shipping, there are plenty of condoms available at most pharmacies and big box stores. If you have to grab something in such a situation, the Durex Real Feel condoms are the best of the bunch. You shouldn't have trouble finding these alongside other major condom brands like Trojan and Skyn, but Durex’s Real Feel is the most comfortable of all of these. Its condoms transfer sensations better than most of the other pharmacy-available condoms I tested, and they’re stretchy and long enough to cover most penises. Better yet, they’re polyisoprene condoms, so these double as our favorite non-latex condoms for anyone with a latex allergy. They’re relatively cheap if you buy them in reasonable quantities. A three-pack can be pretty expensive (at my store they’re about $2 per condom), so you should probably only get one of these if you’re unsure they’ll fit you. because they only come in one size. I want to reiterate yet again that any condom is better than no condom at all these are some condoms that are good enough if you don’t have better options but didn't quite make our top picks some members of our staff don’t like them at all I recommend picking up a variety pack to test a few and see which works for you you’ll wish you could you could wear them all the time.Boutayna Chokrane Wired CouponsWayfair Coupons10% Off Wayfair Promo Code with sign-up $50 Off In-Person Tax Prep When You Switch From Your Tax Current Provider Exclusive: Up To 50% Off 6 Boxes With Factor Promo Code It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ linked to low birth weight Several brands of condoms and lubricants contain alarming levels of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”, including styles of Trojan and K-Y Jelly, new research finds The testing conducted by the Mamavation consumer advocacy blog comes just as researchers found human skin absorbs the chemicals at much higher levels than previously thought. Read morePenis and vagina skin is thin and the organs have a high level of blood vessels which makes them particularly dangerous organs to expose to PFAS a science adviser for Mamavation who previously ran the Environmental Protection Agency’s toxicology program “The vagina and penis are incredibly vascular areas and dermal exposure to these areas are often higher than other places of the body,” Birnbaum said PFAS are a class of about 15,000 chemicals often used to make products resistant to water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down, and are linked to cancer decreased immunity and other serious health problems PFAS are also considered to be reproductive toxicants and endocrine disruptors linked to low birth weight infertility and shorter duration of breastfeeding The chemicals are probably used in condoms to help latex repel moisture and liquid “It is chemically certain that the female reproductive tract will be contaminated by some of the chemicals in condoms,” Teresa Heinz a Green Science Policy Institute researcher conducted by an Environmental Protection Agency-certified lab and commissioned by Mamavation It was found in the Trojan Ultra Thin Condoms for Ultra Sensitivity and at nearly double the level in the Union Standard Ultra Thin Lubricated Male Latex Condoms Among lubricants were K-Y Jelly Classic Water-Based Personal Lubricant Lola Tingling Mint Pleasure Gel for Spot-On Arousal and several others PFAS are used in thousands of consumer products from clothing to makeup to food packaging, but little regulations exist at the federal level. However, pressure from consumer advocates and some state level bans on specific uses are generating pressure on industry to stop using the chemicals “Because condoms are an exposure to the most sensitive areas on the human body for both men and women I would strongly recommend the industry identify and remove these chemicals immediately,” Birnbaum wrote PAUL — A Minnesota Senate committee heard a bill Monday that would give victims of “stealthing,” the non-consensual removal of a condom the option to file a civil lawsuit against their perpetrators “The heart of the bill is to ensure survivors have a legal path to seek justice hold perpetrators accountable and deter this harmful behavior in Minnesota.” the bill says that perpetrators may be required to pay the plaintiff up to $10,000 in civil penalty attorney fees and “any other relief the court deems appropriate.” Perpetrators would be held accountable based on plaintiff testimony and other forms of evidence like witness testimony it just proves that this is something that is being taken seriously in places all over the country,” Gustafson said “Laws have grossly failed to keep pace with the widespread recognition that stealthing is a serious and prevalent form of sexual assault and remain largely void of language specifically addressing this behavior,” she said The bill passed out of committee and was referred to the Senate floor Having a circumcised penis or pubic hair did not affect the transfer of microbes between males and females during sexual intercourse male and female partners leave unique microbial "imprints" on each other Male and female sexual partners leave traces of their "genital microbiomes" during intercourse researchers had 12 monogamous heterosexual couples collect swab samples after a period of abstinence and then shortly after having sex The subsequent analyses led the scientists to confirm that each of the male and female participants had a unique collection of microbes in their nether regions After penetrative sex, though, these distinct microbial communities, or microbiomes were transferred to their partners in a reciprocal way These microbiome shifts occurred even in couples that used condoms and they could be detected using simple lab tests The researchers who conducted the study, which was published Wednesday (Feb. 12) in the journal iScience have dubbed this sexual microbiome the "sexome." Related: Scientists are building an ultimate atlas of the vagina. Here's why. But sometimes no sperm is detected in these swab tests Chapman and colleagues asked a dozen heterosexual couples to abstain from having sex for at least two to four days they had the participants take swabs of their genital regions to be sent to the lab for analysis Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox the female participants had a greater volume of bacteria in their genital microbiomes than the male participants did — equating to an average of 8,038 bacterial genetic sequences in females males showed a greater diversity of bacterial species with approximately twice the number of species represented compared with females the couples were asked to wait between two and 14 days before having sexual intercourse the participants were asked to take a second series of swabs for analysis This subsequently revealed that a participant's unique genital microbiome could be identified in their partner's swab "When we compared the before and after samples we could see bacterial DNA signatures from the female on the male and the male on the female," said study co-author Brendan Chapman a forensic scientist at Murdoch University in Perth "In forensic science this is what we call a 'trace' or 'transfer' and that's the sort of thing that we ultimately use to show that there was contact," he told Live Science in an email three of the 12 couples reported using a condom during intercourse microbes were transferred between partners but did not completely prevent the formation of the sexome Other things that didn't seem to affect microbial transfer included whether males were circumcised or if either partner had pubic hair the researchers did note that the composition of the genital microbiome in females changed at different points in their menstrual cycle which could affect the results of future swab tests —Controversial 'vaginal seeding' shows promise in small trial, but questions remain —Scientists invent tool to see how 'healthy' your gut microbiome is — does it work? —Gut microbiome may have fueled the growth of humans' big brains, study suggests More experiments are now needed to replicate these findings in larger groups given that this initial study included only 24 people Future studies could also aim to answer questions such as how long the sexome lingers after intercourse "We’ve only scratched the surface in demonstrating this as a technique for use in real cases," Chapman said "We still need more participants to make sure that we can reliably develop a test that's suitable for the robust validation that forensic science requires." you will then be prompted to enter your display name May's full 'Flower Moon' will be a micromoon students packed into 009 Student Success for Condom Bingo snacks and candid conversations about sexual health Organized by RCA in collaboration with the Women's Center the event aimed to educate students on topics like consent contraception and sexual violence—all through the fun and interactive format of bingo informational flyers with sexual health resources and a variety of condoms from the Residential Community Association (RCA) advisor's office Attendees played multiple rounds of bingo in which they learned about sexual health Among the noted goals of the event was to give away these items while educating students about sex-related topics. President of RCA Varshitha Thanam discussed what these topics were "[The main goal was] to educate residents across the campus about important matters like consent and sex and remove any underlying myths that exist," Thanam said educational method that would attract students to the event and ensure they had fun while still getting the necessary information across Director of Residential Activities for RCA added that they hoped to provide this comprehensive inclusive sex education "in a way that is fun and engaging.” with a few dozen attendees that were at attention for the entire event inclusive sex education and a fun experience under their belts Condom Bingo was initially conceived by RCA as a collaboration with the Women's Center. Assistant Director of the Women's Center "loved the idea," according to Tipton ,and suggested bringing in other departments These ultimately included Counseling and Wellness the LGBTQA Center and the Title IX department Kate Page from Title IX kicked off the night by giving a brief introduction to Title IX its purpose and how Wright State University students can use it The Women's and LGBTQA Centers had aided RCA in producing bingo questions that were not strictly heteronormative "...it was great to collaborate with those other departments because they are the experts when it comes to inclusion and education." Thanam described collaborating with these departments as "a wonderful experience." The bingo game covered a variety of sexual health topics These included proper use and storage of contraceptives the FRIES acronym for consent and the names of on-campus resources.  The game also touched on more serious topics like STIs and sexual violence. There was a “3%” square on students’ bingo boards which referred to the percentage of American men who “have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime,” according to the RAINN website The success of the event was amplified by students' engagement Many students arrived with their friends and then participated eagerly We had a pretty good turnout and the attendees seemed to be loving the sex education round of Bingo.” "The event turnout was amazing; we had about 100 students who attended and all the snacks and condoms were out," Thanam agreed The success of the Condom Bingo event displays a commitment by WSU departments and students to promoting health Malia Becker, (971) 717-6415, [email protected] Thousands of Endangered Species Condoms Distributed at Colleges Conservation-Themed Condoms Highlight How Safer Sex Saves Wildlife Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity is giving thousands of free Endangered Species Condoms to colleges and universities across the country as students head back to school The condoms will be distributed by student reproductive rights groups environmental science professors and campus health clinics “Students get reminders to buy textbooks to prepare for the new semester but condoms are an essential back-to-school item population and sustainability organizer at the Center “Access to contraception improves gender equity Giving away condoms is also a climate change solution as the human population has more than doubled and excessive consumption in wealthy countries has skyrocketed wildlife populations have fallen by more than two-thirds In late 2022 the global population reached 8 billion The United Nations predicts that it will continue to grow to 8.5 billion by 2030 and 9.7 billion by 2050 The United States is the world’s third-most populous country The colorful condom packages include species threatened by human population pressure and slogans like “Wrap with care save the polar bear” and “When you’re feeling tender “The condoms empower people to make choices about their reproductive futures and are a fun way to get conversations started about sexual health Endangered Species Condoms feature nine different endangered species and information about the pressure that human population growth puts on whales monarch butterflies and other imperiled wildlife through fishing entanglements The Center has given away more than 1.5 million Endangered Species Condoms since 2009 The Center’s population and sustainability program uses creative media to promote a range of commonsense solutions like access to family planning and reproductive health services opportunity and equal rights for women and girls The Center for Biological Diversity is a national nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places More Press Releases from Brixton sentenced to four years and three months for rape A man has been jailed for four years and three months in a rare conviction for “stealthing” – taking a condom off during sex without consent Guy Mukendi, 39, from Brixton, was sentenced on Thursday at inner London crown court for the rape of a woman last year The woman had consented to sex with Mukendi on the condition a condom was used Nonconsensual condom removal is classified as rape under separate laws applying in the UK nations Metropolitan police officers worked with the victim in a “milestone case” to obtain screenshots of messages from Mukendi in which he apologised for taking the condom off explaining it was because he had not had sex in a long time Officers also gathered forensic evidence with the help of the victim The evidence helped to secure the conviction of Mukendi said: “Throughout this investigation Mukendi denied any wrongdoing but our officers built a compelling case against him to leave no doubt in the jury’s mind “We were dedicated to securing justice for the victim and will continue to raise awareness that this crime is a form of rape “The victim did the right thing to call the police straight away and her bravery should not be overshadowed If you have been a victim of sexual violence and not yet reported it please contact your local police service and we will do all that we can to help and bring you justice.” The Met said prosecutions for stealthing were “very rare due to under-reporting” The first successful conviction in England and Wales was in 2019 when Lee Hogben, from Bournemouth, was jailed for 12 years for the rape of a sex worker She had given consent beforehand for sexual intercourse on the condition a condom was used and this condition was also stated on her website The first conviction in Scotland occurred last year when Luke Ford was handed a condom in bed by a woman whom he was dating and who had told him he had to use protection He later told her that he had not used the condom It was one of 18 offences against women for which Ford was found guilty Free newsletterGet the day’s headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning The prevalence of stealthing in the UK is not known but a 2018 survey of patients at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia, found that a third of women and a fifth of men who had sex with men had experienced stealthing Under the England and Wales Sexual Offences Act 2003 “a person consents if he [or she] agrees by choice and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice” and consent is not deemed to have been given if “the defendant intentionally deceived the complainant as to the nature or purpose of the relevant act”