Why Texas Health Workers Are Hanging Condoms & Lube On Trees

Sometimes, everything you need is right in front of you. For people in Travis County of Austin, Texas, that could mean literally after health workers hung condoms and lube from trees in one of the city's public parks. Akesha Johnson-Smothers, the HIV and STD program manager with Austin's Health and Human Services department, explained to KXAN that the plastic bags filled with condoms, lube, and information about HIV testing were hung to raise awareness about safe sex after a rise in HIV cases in the county. "It’s just something creative, something unique and we are actually evaluating to see the effectiveness because we want to make sure the access is easy,” she said. KXAN reports that 288 people were diagnosed with HIV in Travis County in 2015, which is the highest number the county has seen in ten years. The bags were strategically placed, hanging in Walnut Creek Park where KXAN says many couples have been caught and arrested for public sex. As entertaining as the stunt was, it's apparently come to an end after the parks department took issue with the likelihood of litter resulting from the display. Luckily, it already did what it needed to do, which was remind people of the importance of staying safe while sexually active. Just maybe next time get down and dirty inside.