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Delaware County makes condoms available by mail to protect residents from diseases spread by sex

Delaware County launched its program after seeing a rise in sexually transmitted infections over the last several years.

A bowl of condoms sits on a table in an examination room at Whole Woman's Health of South Bend on June 19, 2019, in South Bend, Indiana. Sexually transmitted infections are rising around the U.S., prompting local health officials, including in Delaware County, Pa., to increase condom distribution to residents.
A bowl of condoms sits on a table in an examination room at Whole Woman's Health of South Bend on June 19, 2019, in South Bend, Indiana. Sexually transmitted infections are rising around the U.S., prompting local health officials, including in Delaware County, Pa., to increase condom distribution to residents.Read moreScott Olson / MCT

Aiming to curb the incidence of diseases spread by sex, Delaware County is offering a free program that will mail up to 10 condoms directly to residents at their request.

Called “Doing Delco Safely,” the program allows residents to choose from options including Trojan brand condoms, non-latex and lubricated varieties, and female condoms.

So far, the county has sent 201 orders through the mail, in varying amounts; residents can also pick up free condoms at the county’s wellness centers in Yeadon and Chester.

Sending condoms through the mail isn’t a new practice, said Matthew Rankin, a spokesperson for the county. Other area health departments, including those in Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks Counties, offer similar programs.

Delaware County launched its program after seeing a rise in sexually transmitted diseases over the last several years, Rankin said. That’s in line with national trends, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The most common STD in the county is chlamydia; the county saw a reported 2,937 cases in 2022, a 6% rise from the year before, according to a health department news release. Gonorrhea, the next most common STD in the county, saw cases decrease by 14% from 2021 to 2022.

Syphilis cases, although rare in the county, have increased dramatically in recent years. The number of cases involving mild or no symptoms increased by more than 50%, from 71 to 113, from 2020 to 2021, and symptomatic cases increased from seven to 15 cases. That was the highest incidence the county had seen in 20 years, WHYY reported.

“One of the best ways for residents to protect themselves is through consistent condom use,” Rankin said in an email.