Condoms in cabs: Western Health launches sexual health campaign

If you decide to take a taxi home from an evening out this weekend, you'll notice something different in the back seat of the cab.

We have over 11,000 condoms, we bagged them all in bags of 25. The taxi drivers then will have to just open the bag, dispense it in the taxis for those nights, and then next weekend we'll drop off more condoms. So hopefully it will get the message out there.- Kim Dawson of Western Health

Condoms will be available in a number of taxis in the western Newfoundland area for the next four weeks.

It's all part of a new sexual health campaign by Western Health, targeted at reaching young people.

Kim Dawson, the health authority's reproductive health consultant, has organized the campaign.

She told CBC that there are high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancies and abortions in the region.

Dawson said in the western region for five consecutive years, rates of sexually transmitted diseases had doubled.

"And the rates were highest in the age group from 17 to 24 years when it came to chlamydia — and sexually transmitted infections are preventable," she said. 

Dawson said between 2006 and 2010, teen pregnancy rates in the western region were higher than the provincial average. 

11,000 condoms in cabs

Dawson said when young people leave parties and bars at night, pharmacies are closed, and there is less access to birth control options. 

"I've got these jean bags that we've made, so these will go into the back seats of taxis. We're going to put 25 condoms in each night, and they're going to run for Thursday, Friday and Saturday for four weeks," said Dawson. 

"We have over 11,000 condoms, we bagged them all in bags of 25. The taxi drivers then will have to just open the bag, dispense it in the taxis for those nights, and then next weekend we'll drop off more condoms. So hopefully it will get the message out there."

She said Deer Lake Taxi, Star Taxi of Corner Brook, Blue Bird Taxi in Stephenville and Scott's Taxi of Port aux Basques are participating in the new initiative.

Dawson said she will talk to cab drivers at the end of November, to get their feedback and assess the success of the campaign.