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Vote for L.A.’s official condom

June 20, 2012

Some early favorites in Public Health's contest to design condom packages.

One entry has the Hollywood sign spelling out the word CONDOM. One depicts a prophylactic stretched over Los Angeles’ iconic City Hall. Some have palm trees. Some have movie themes. Some are in Spanish. One features the Capitol Records building with the caption, “Let’s Get It On.”

The contest to select an Official L.A. Condom—or at least its wrapper—is off and running. A panel of judges is winnowing the entries, and, starting this week, the public will be able to vote online.

“We had more than 300 entries the last time I checked,” says Department of Public Health Project Manager True Beck. “On June 21, the semifinalists will be posted, and then the public will pick the top 10.”

Winners will be announced on June 26.

The contest, entitled “L.A.’s Next Sex Symbol,” is intended to promote safer sex and discourage the spread of HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases. A similar contest several years ago in New York generated widespread publicity.

The issue is serious—some 2,000 new HIV infections alone occur annually in Los Angeles County—but the contest’s tone has been anything but somber. The tag line is “Show Us Your Package,” and judges include the colorful gossip blogger Perez Hilton. Earlier this month, buff men in muscle shirts were on hand at the Downtown Art Walk to do condom demonstrations on popsicles and bananas.

Beck says the idea is to keep the conversation “light and sexy and fun”, and engage the public. The number one vote getter will win a television and $750 in gift cards, and the nine runners-up will receive $200 in gift cards.

The real prize, however, will be bragging rights: The 10 top designs will appear for the next year on the wrappers of a million and one free condoms handed out all over the county by the Department of Public Health.

Click here to see the entries and vote from June 21-26 for your favorite semifinalist, or go to LASexSymbol.com.