A condom availability program is a program intended to bring condoms to people who would have otherwise not gotten them due to financial, logistical, or even cultural impediments. These programs are often found in places where people naturally assemble in large groups or high traffic locations such as clinics, schools, community centers, and dormitories. Frequently aimed at teens, condom availability programs make condoms accessible (usually at little or no cost) and lessen the awkwardness that teens may feel if they have to ask for or publicly buy condoms.
More About Condom Availability Program
There is an important distinction between condom availability programs and what is often described as "condom distribution" in schools. The purpose of a condom availability program is to have condoms available if people want them. This type of program does not force the condoms into the hands of people just standing nearby.
Many condom availability programs found in schools allow parents the opportunity to inform the school if they wish to "opt-out" their child from the program. Mandatory meetings with a health counselor before receiving condoms is a another feature of some school programs.
