Practicing safer sex doesn’t need to cost you an arm and a leg. A lot of times if you just look around you can get a condom for free. Some places that often have free condoms include:

  • County Health Departments
  • STD Clinics
  • Planned Parenthood
  • Campus Health Centers
  • The Internet (search: “Free Condoms”)
  • Bars, restaurants, tattoo parlors, salons, barbershops, and other locations that cater to sexually active high-risk clientele.
  • Bathhouses and sex clubs
  • Some cities, like New York, even put out lists of where you can find free condoms to make them more accessible.

As with any other condom, always be certain to check the freshness of the package by looking at the expiration date and feeling for the air bubble.

Why People Hand Out Free Condoms

It may seem strange that people would hand out free condoms as often as they do, but there are several potential reasons for it. The first is that certain places, such as STD clinics and campus health centers, have a vested interest in reducing the number of STDs in the populations that they serve. Giving people free condoms and other safe sex supplies helps keep their clients healthier and reduce the amount of money they have to spend on patient care.

The second is that handing out free condoms doesn’t necessarily cost the organization handing them out money. Sometimes state, county, or city health departments will donate condoms to be handed out in high-risk settings. They, of course, benefit from the potential to reduce healthcare spending. Other times, the condom companies themselves hand out free condoms. Doing so is both good for the community and good marketing. If people find types of condoms they like when they’re getting them for free, they may decide they’re worth seeking out in stores.

Finally, other companies may use branded condoms as marketing tools. Condoms are relatively cheap to customize, easy to hand out, and potentially give you a good conversational bang for your buck. They may not be as consistently used as pens, but they’re also probably a heck of a lot cheaper.