With Florida having some of the highest HIV infection rates in the nation and Orlando outpacing most national metro areas in HIV transmission, state and local nonprofits are working tirelessly to find solutions. The majority of new HIV infections in the Central Florida area stem from unprotected sex, leading nonprofits and advocacy groups to call for better distribution of contraceptives for Central Florida residents.
Hope & Help, a Central Florida nonprofit, is leading the way with an innovative condom delivery service that seeks to control the spread of HIV and prevent new infections.
A history of helping
Since 1988, Hope & Help has been at the forefront of support for the Central Florida community and those living with HIV/AIDS. Through its dissemination of STI testing, medical care resources, counseling services, and community-building approach, Hope & Help has been an invaluable resource for the Central Florida community — focused squarely on lessening the stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS, preventing and/or lessening the number of new infections, and improving quality of life for those living with HIV/AIDS.
Along with programs that help distribute PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), Hope & Help’s free condom delivery service is one of its most successful initiatives, helping foster a culture of safety, awareness, and overall well-being. Delivering free condoms also helps address financial and sexual wellness education disparities in the area, assuring that people have access to protection when they need it.
It’s sexy to be safe
As the nonprofit’s website proclaims, there’s nothing sexier than safety. Today’s mindset concerning HIV and AIDS has changed radically from the darker days of the 1980s and early 1990s, when misinformation about how the disease was transmitted and how to prevent HIV ran rampant. Through the work of nonprofits like Hope & Help, education has worked hard to replace the stigma and fear that persists, and people are far better equipped to protect themselves and others through tools like condoms and innovative measures like PrEP.
Many nonprofits and advocacy groups have offered free condoms to communities, usually handed out at events or available in large quantities during office visits or gatherings. Hope & Help has upped the free condom game with its innovative condom subscription service. Available in several counties throughout the Central Florida area, the condom subscription service, ProtectYourO, gives people everything they need to stay safe for free. Delivered in discreet packaging, people can get condoms sent right to their door through a subscription sign-up. The service provides access to a variety of different condom types — such as flavored or non-latex male condoms and insertive (female) condoms — as well as dental dams and lubricants.
Hope & Help strongly believes that healthcare is a human right, and that includes access to the tools necessary to protect oneself from diseases such as HIV. Programs such as the free condom subscription service and others have been specifically designed to serve the community and its unique needs. By allowing people ongoing access to condoms and other contraceptives in a discreet, no-questions-asked manner, the nonprofit is helping remove the lingering stigma around HIV/AIDS and helping curb the spread of those diseases and other STIs.
In it together
“Ending HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, and other STIs is a public health issue,” says Hope & Help Executive Director Lisa Barr. “We are in this together. That means us, you, and them.” This community approach has served the Central Florida community well since Hope & Help’s formation in the late 1980s — during some of the most challenging days of the AIDS epidemic.
The approach that Hope & Help has embraced is simple: fight stigma, make testing routine, and be consistent with protection such as PrEP and free condoms. Education is also a critical part of Hope & Help’s multilayered program. Through its free condom service, the organization also offers education on the proper use of condoms and other ways people can protect themselves and their partners.
The impact of Hope & Help’s free condom subscription service is being felt throughout the Central Florida area, from Brevard County to Orange and beyond. Hope & Help’s team of volunteers, employees, experts, and medical staff continues to work hard to foster a community of widespread education and awareness, breaking stigmas and making sure people know how to protect themselves.
Condom distribution is a holistic approach to protection, and while it may sound simple, it can have a significant impact on rising HIV numbers in the state of Florida. We still live in a world where misinformation, fear, and a lack of resources can hinder the health and well-being of citizens. With programs like the free condom subscription model, a healthier future for not only Central Florida but also the United States can be realized.