Thursday, August 16, 2012
Sex it Smart youth condom campaign logo unveiled
Ottawa - Today, Councillor Mathieu Fleury, member of the Board of Health, and Dr. Vera Etches, Associate Medical Officer of Health, unveiled the winning logo submission for Ottawa Public Health’s (OPH) upcoming Sex it Smart youth condom campaign.
Madeleine Gagné’s winning entry was selected by a panel of judges from over 50 submissions received between May 15 and June 15, 2012. Madeleine will see her logo used in a city-wide campaign and received $500 in cash and a prize pack from Brymark Promotions valued at over $600.
The Sex it Smart campaign, to be officially launched later this year, is part of a three-year multi-dimensional sexual health strategy aimed at reducing the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, increasing awareness and use of condoms among youth by increasing distribution of condoms, and promoting healthy sexual relationships among youth. The campaign will make full use of digital strategies aimed at engaging and empowering youth to take responsibility for their sexual health.
"Our sexual health clinics continue to see a record number of clinic visits,” said Councillor Fleury. “This is a remarkable achievement for Ottawa Public Health and it speaks to the ongoing desire among youth for greater awareness and engagement.”
Visits to OPH sexual health clinics have been increasing. In 2011, the clinics served approximately 20,000 clients and are currently on pace to surpass that number, having served over 11,000 in the first half of this year.
“In Ottawa, youth aged 15 to 29 years account for 79 per cent of Chlamydia and gonorrhea diagnoses,” said Dr. Etches. “For this reason and so many more, young people have been an integral part of the planning an implementation of this campaign to increase awareness of the importance of condom use and sexual health."
Background:
The winning logo was developed by Madeleine Gagné, a graphic design student at Algonquin College who entered the contest because she “thought that a campaign promoting safer sex for youth was an important project for the City to take on.” When creating her winning submission, Madeleine explained she created a logo that is "simple and streamlined, while still having a strong message to get youth talking about the issue of safer sex.”
You can view the winning logo by visiting sexitsmart.ca.
For more information on healthy sexuality go to ottawa.ca/health or call the Ottawa Public Health Information Line at 613-580-6744. You can also follow OPH on Twitter and Facebook
|