Aiming to curb the spread of diseases spread by sex, Delaware County is offering a free program that will mail up to 10 condoms directly to residents at their request.
Called “Doing Delco Safely,” the program allows residents to choose from options including Trojan brand condoms, non-latex and lubricated varieties and female condoms.
So far, the county has sent 201 orders through the mail, in varying amounts; residents can also pick up free condoms at the county’s wellness centers in Yeadon and Chester.
Sending condoms through the mail isn’t a new practice, said Matthew Rankin, a spokesperson for the county. Other area health departments, including those in Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks counties, offer similar programs.
Delaware County launched its program after seeing a rise in sexually transmitted diseases over the last several years, Rankin said. That’s in line with national trends, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The most common STD in the county is chlamydia; the county saw a reported 2,937 cases in 2022, a 6% rise from the year before, according to a health department news release. Gonorrhea, the next most common STD in the county, saw cases decrease by 14% between 2021 and 2022.
Syphilis cases, while rare in the county, have increased dramatically in recent years. The number of cases involving mild or no symptoms increased by more than 50%, from 71 to 113, between 2020 and 2021, and symptomatic cases increased from seven to 15 cases. That was the highest incidence the county had seen in 20 years, WHYY reported.
“One of the best ways for residents to protect themselves is through consistent condom use,” Rankin said in an email.
Discovered on: 2023-03-14 23:36:25
Source: Delaware County offers to mail free condoms to residents to combat sexually…
