SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 15, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — The day after the Utah Department of Health launched a new HIV awareness campaign called “The H is for Human,” the governor’s office has asked UDOH to stop distributing campaign condoms due to risque labeling.
The packaging of those condoms, previously pictured on the HIVandMe.com website, included suggestive labels.
The labels included:
- Greatest Sex on Earth
- SL, UT
- Explore Utah’s Caves
- Uintah Sex?
- Enjoy your Mountin’
- This is the Place (accompanied by an image of a bed)
- Filmore 6; Beaver 9
- Put Your Arch Into It (showing the hole in Delicate Arch)
- Toss the Jello salad (with gelatin in a bundt-shaped mold)
A volunteer committee had helped create the labels, according to reports.
Governor Gary Herbert’s office released the following reaction on Wednesday to the condom labels:
“The Governor understands the importance of the Utah Department of Health conducting a campaign to educate Utahns about HIV prevention,” the statement says.
“He does not, however, approve the use of sexual innuendo as part of a taxpayer-funded campaign, and our office has asked the department to rework the campaign’s branding.”
UDOH released an apologetic statement just after 9 p.m. Wednesday:
“The Utah Department of Health apologizes for the offensive packaging included on condoms distributed as part of an HIV campaign.
“The designs did not go through necessary approval channels and we have asked our partners to stop distributing them immediately. We regret the lewd nature of the branding.
“We remain committed to running a campaign to help in the prevention of HIV and intend to do so in a manner that better respects taxpayer dollars, and our role as a government agency.”
Those packages are beyond disgusting. I’m all for protection, of course, but can they have some dignity in the packaging???