Boston Public Schools will replace free condoms donated to the school system after parents raised concerns over the messages on the wrappers, according to the Boston Globe.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health donated 40,000 condoms after Boston decided to provide free contraception in all public high schools, but the wrappers feature phrases like “hump one,” “one lucky lady” and “tasty one,” which concerned parents.
One mother, Stephanie Bode Ward, expressed her disapproval of the wrapper messages on Twitter Tuesday night and spoke to the Boston Globe Wednesday.
“Right idea, wrong execution,” she told the Globe. “I so fully support condoms in the schools, and it was incredibly courageous for BPS to adopt the policy.”
She also reached out to the Boston mayor and Massachusetts governor.
A spokesperson for the Boston school system, Lee McGuire, said that the controversial condoms would be replaced with neutral ones, though she was unsure how many of the original condoms had been distributed.
“We understand why some people may have concerns about the design,” she told the Globe in an email. “This is why we have already taken steps to replace this supply with a donation from the Boston Public Health Commission. We have already begun to distribute these different condoms to schools so there is no interruption in our overall comprehensive sexual health education effort.”
In a Wednesday night statement, the Massachusetts Department of Public health said it supported the school system’s decision to replace the condoms.
Under the new policy approved in June, all high school students can receive free condoms at school after participating in safe-sex counseling, according to the Globe.
