The graffiti that decorates buildings, bus stops, bridges, and other landmarks in London is apparently rife with penises — which, honestly, a lot of graffiti is (serious question: why don't graffiti artists ever spray paint vaginas?).
But when one art director noticed the sheer number of penises lining the streets of London, he decided to turn what he calls "senseless vandalism" into an educational art project, BuzzFeed reports.
The artist (who asked BuzzFeed to remain anonymous) took note of where he'd seen graffiti penises and then made a condom stencil that he could spray paint over them. He posts photos of his transformative art on an Instagram page, aptly called ProtectCityCocks.
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So far, he said, he's only had positive responses to the condoms on his Instagram page, and some people even reach out to tell him where they've seen penises he can cover up.
"It infuriated me because a lot of them were at school bus stops where kids gather, and it just shouldn't be the norm to just have your wang out, especially unprotected — I just thought it sent the wrong message," he told BuzzFeed.
So he turned it into a better message and an attempt to educate young people about safe sex. In addition to the spray paint condom, the artist also paints a link to the UK National Health Service's webpage about sexual health for young adults.
Anyone who needs them (at least those who live in London) can get free condoms at this link.
"If there's going to be cocks scattered everywhere that nobody wants to see, we might as well have people learn something from the cocks," the artist told BuzzFeed.
In a 2015 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called the rise in STIs such as chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea a "hidden epidemic."
So, while the improvised condoms may be kind of funny (and the artist said he does hope people get a laugh out of them), they're also an important reminder to protect your sexual health.
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