The 'Condom Fairy' gives contraception gifts to BU students
Boston University students now have their own grown-up version of the tooth fairy. Except this time, the fairy is handing out condoms instead of cash.
Boston University launched a program this month called the ‘Condom Fairy,’ a free service that delivers contraception to students, according to BU’s Office of Wellness and Prevention Services.
Katharine Mooney, Wellness Coordinator at BU’s Wellness and Prevention Services, said she believes this is the first condom-by-mail delivery service at a university. The program launched two weeks ago, she said, and since then the university has satisfied nearly 500 orders.
“It’s meant to be discreet,” Mooney said. “So when you go to your mailbox, no one will know what you’re getting.”
She said students may order up to two female condoms, three male condoms, three lubricants, and a dental dam. The gift also comes with literature on safe sex as well as a note from the Condom Fairy.
Mooney said that when she first thought of the idea for a mail-order condom service, she asked some students for their opinion, and the response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic.
“It built some confidence that this would resonate with our students and serve our students in a better way,” she said.
Students pick the type of contraceptives they want to use online, and then fill in their mailbox information. The Condom Fairy only visits on-campus mailboxes, and students should expect their request to take 5 to 7 business days.
Each package costs about $1.50, she said, and 500 female condoms have been donated by the Female Health Company. The Office of Wellness and Prevention Services plans to host workshops for students who want to learn more about the female condom, since it is less widely used.
Mooney said the university will be decorating its shuttles with advertisements for the Condom Fairy, complete with “sassy” slogans and a cute cartoon drawing of the Fairy.
Slogans include, “fairy with benefits,” “she delivers so you can too,” and “don’t thank me, the pleasure’s all yours.”
Mooney said that student health ambassadors and BU students for sexual health package the orders. The gifts are then distributed through the university’s mail service.
BU’s Condom Fairy has already gotten a lot of buzz on social media:
having the condom fairy visit me was definitely a highlight of today #buSHS #condomfairy
— Kalie San Felipe (@kalie0506) February 14, 2013
...Happy Valentine's Day. bu.edu/shs/wellness/w… #BU #MySchoolHasACondomFairy #Wut
— Emily Keller (@egkeller) February 14, 2013
BOSTON UNIVERSITY HAS A CONDOM FAIRY?? #theydeliver #yourewelcome bu.edu/shs/wellness/w…
— anna ferris (@aredfurr) February 9, 2013
“It’s really exciting to see such an enthusiasm,” Mooney said. “This is what we should be promoting.”
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