STD rates are on the rise in Greenwich Village, and it looks like lots of ladies are doing the nasty in some, ahem, nasty ways, according to new data from the Health Department [pdf]. more ›

When Pope Benedict made those somewhat confusing remarks saying that condoms could be used by male prostitutes to stop the spread of HIV, people thought, "Hey, what about the female sex workers?" Now it turns out that Pope Benedict thinks that the use of condoms by both men and women to prevent AIDS is a-okay! The Vatican spokesman said, "I personally asked the Pope if there was a serious, important problem in the choice of the masculine over the feminine. He told me no... It's the first step of taking responsibility, of taking into consideration the risk of the life of another with whom you have a relationship. ... This is if you're a woman, a man, or a transsexual." more ›

Yesterday, excerpts of a book-length interview that Pope Benedict granted to a German journalist were printed, and one of the observations was that the Pontiff said that condoms could be used in some cases, such as for male prostitutes to reduce the risk of HIV infection. As AIDS activists cheer the Pope's stance, the Vatican claims this is not a change in papal outlook. And some Catholic New Yorkers wonders why he has to remain so selective. more ›

Yesterday, a federal judge ruled that a strip club in West Babylon, Long Island had to close, because of a court agreement its owner signed in 2005 promising to close the business by November 2009. (The area was not zoned for "adult entertainment.") Of course, the business didn't want the good times to end and was still operating past the promised closing date. One relieved resident told WCBS 880, “I’m very happy to hear that cause I have a little brother. You used to see condoms and everything on the street." more ›

The rubbers have to hit the road. Two unlicensed street vendors fighting for the right to sell political-themed condoms under the guise of free speech have had their lawsuit rubbed out by a Manhattan Criminal Court judge. Thomas Larsen and Edward Wardle, employees of the novelty-condom company Practice Safe Policy, were given tickets on Canal Street and in Times Square for pushing prophylactics like The Palin, which comes in a wrapper with the slogan "When Abortion is Not an Option." Their Obama condom's described as "Ultimate Stimulus Package." On Friday judge Michael Gerstein ruled that no matter how hilarious their products, their business was not protected by the First Amendment. more ›

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is concerned after a report suggests that women aren't practicing safe sex habits: "More than 100,000 New York City women engage in anal intercourse each year, according to a new report from the Health Department, and many are not taking the steps needed to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections." While 61% of men who have sex with other men use condoms during anal sex, only 23% of women are. more ›

Luis Acosta of Kew Gardens is now the Condom King of New York. 15,000 people voted in the Health Department's contest to design a special limited-edition NYC Condom wrapper, and the winner is Acosta's electronic power button. But it was a hard-fought victory, with Acosta's rubber winning by just two percentage points with 23% of the vote. In second place, with 21% of vote, was the Top Hat, followed by the Circle of Condoms and the Manhole Cover. Fittingly, the design of a subway train in a tunnel finished dead last. (Sadly, our Sad Rat condom design didn't even place.) In a statement, a triumphant Acosta said, "I hope my package design reminds people that they’re in control." more ›

The judges have wrapped up their search for a new NYC condom wrapper design, and now it's time to vote for your favorite rubber package out of five finalists! The Health Department received nearly 600 entries since December, when it invited New Yorkers to design a wrapper that would “capture the city’s distinctive culture while promoting safer sex.” But it wasn't just locals who got in on the action; designs flooded in from as far away as Perm, Russia. (There's a Yakov Smirnoff joke in here somewhere, but damned if we can find it.) more ›

In cities such as San Francisco and DC, and here in New York, condoms have been used as evidence against alleged prostitutes. (In DC, police have been accused of claiming that suspects carrying three or more condoms have an intent to sell sex in "Prostitution Free Zones.") Change.org asserts that the practice has had a chilling effect on safe-sex in the sex industry, with some undergound brothels refusing to keep condoms on premises. And the website also cites anecdotal reports that regular businesses have been reluctant to distribute NYC's free condoms because they can also be used as evidence of "maintaining a premises for prostitution." more ›

The city will debut a special limited-edition condom package next fall, and the Health Department is holding a contest to pick the new look. They're calling for designs that reflect NYC's "distinctive culture and style while also promoting safer sex." As they put it on the website, "Maybe you’ve admired the NYC Condom’s sleek package design. Maybe you even own one or two of the 41 million the Health Department gave away last year. We’re not about to abandon the now-iconic package, but we want to keep things interesting." (But "not raunchy"!) So what does the winner get? more ›

This ain't your grandfather's rubber: The good old geriatric condom has gotten with the times and joined Facebook here in NYC, where it wants to be your friend (with benefits)! Yesterday the Daily News, in an article headlined "Health Department issues new NYC-branded condoms," mentioned the Facebook page, which went live today. But Celina De Leon, a spokesperson for the NYC Health Department, says the News article (now disappeared) was almost entirely wrong; there are no new condoms being released for Valentine's Day. Welcome to 2007 Daily News; as De Leon tells us, "We did that two years ago." more ›

A German entrepreneur is applying for a federal trademark to use the Freedom Tower to market a line of condoms; the proposed slogan would be "Freedom Tower: Make Love Not War." What, was "Grind Zero" taken? The Post says 9/11 families are "howling" over the proposed rubber, though they only get a quote from Jack Lynch, whose firefighter son died at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001: "I find it very offensive. The idea that anyone would use something associated with 9/11 to promote any product is upsetting. But to promote condoms, that goes a step beyond." According to the article, the Port Authority, which owns the tower, is "scrambling to block" the application. If he does get the patent, the entrepreneurial German better hope his prophylactic resembles the Freedom Tower in name only, because so far nobody's been able to get that building up. Hey-oh! more ›

When a gas station employee in Englewood, New Jersey refused to give 21-year-old Kadien Jackson a refund on an unopened box of condoms, Jackson allegedly took the dispute to another level and called 911, telling the operator that the gas station was being robbed. He even provided a description of the robber, which happened to match the employee who refused to take back the prophylactics. After responding to the call and realizing they'd been summoned for no reason, police arrested Jackson and charged him with making a false report. What's worse is that Kadien Jackson's failure to both get laid and get his money back will now be immortalized by Google, eclipsing his 1995 mention in the Bergen County Record for his 8-year-old soccer achievements. more ›