For some Penn students, nothing says "Happy Valentine's Day" like free condoms.
Valentine's Day is, coincidentally, National Condom Awareness Day.
In honor of the holiday, the School of Nursing's Lifesavers group -- a committee of student nurses who present monthly health-awareness messages on Locust Walk -- will hand out contraceptives and pamphlets on safe sex.
Lifesavers co-chairwoman Susan Paul, a Nursing sophomore, said that she hopes National Condom Day will get students to think more seriously about the risks of unprotected sex.
"There's a complacency about the perceived risks of getting STDs," she said. She added that many people think, "It will happen to somebody else, not to me."
"It's not like the people who have AIDS are all on the other side of the world," Paul said.
Nursing junior and Lifesavers co-chair Juliet Marx said that National Condom Day should resonate with students because of the high rate of sexual activity at universities.
"People will pay attention to it because we're all sex-driven," Marx said.
Hormones aside, Marx said that the free condoms, bake sale and attention-grabbing "Safe Sex" banner will attract students on their way to classes.
Paul said that she might even make a sign that says, "Have a cookie with a condom."
Though Marx is convinced that students will be intrigued by the event, not all students support the idea of National Condom Day.
Wharton freshman Kavita Mathews said that she is "against [National Condom Day] because I don't think it's appropriate. It's advocating sex on Valentine's Day ... and I don't know if that's the right message to be sending," she said.
Engineering senior Justin Mills agreed.
"I think ... it's condoning" sex, he said. "The only safe sex is abstinence."
Others think the safe-sex publicity benefits students.
"I think education and awareness is important for college students. The more the better," College senior Geoffrey Anello said.
Nursing freshman Jen Addis supports the event as well. "I don't think it's a big problem. In most high schools they do the same thing," she said.
But Addis is still skeptical as to how successful the campaign will be.
Although she said it might give her a laugh, she added that "I don't think anyone will pick up condoms on Locust. Most people aren't that cheap. It would be embarrassing to take one."
Anello said that even if students don't grab condoms, the effort still encourages education and openness about sex.
Paul and Marx both agree. They said that they hope the National Condom Day table on the Walk encourages Penn students to talk more frankly about sex and all of the responsibilities that come along with it.
