'Suit Up' Says L.A. County's Official Condom

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s division of HIV and STD programs announced this week the winners of its first condom contest to design an official Los Angeles-branded condom.

The grand prize winner was Adam Lyons of West Hollywood, whose condom wrapper depicts a bow tie accompanied by the words “Suit Up."

Lyons, 32, is the founder of the two-year-old West Hollywood-based Pop The Pixel graphic design company.

“It feels fantastic,” Lyons, a Pennsylvania native who moved to the area in 2007, told Patch. “This is the first award I’ve ever won, not only personally, but as a graphic designer.”

Lyons’ design was chosen from 500 submissions for the “Show Me Your Package” contest, which launched in May. More than 185,000 votes were cast on the LA’s Next Sex Symbol website.

The 12 finalists are displayed on the Official LA Condoms Facebook page.

Lyons said that many of his clients are small, local businesses with a strong sense of public spirit. Participating in a public service campaign helped him feel some of that same enthusiasm.

“Being part of the community is something I really want to uphold and maintain,” he said. “I’m incredibly happy to be part of L.A.”

Now through the end of the year one million free condoms with one of the 12 designs chosen as finalists will be distributed by the Department of Public Health. 

The department reports that 2,000 new HIV infections occur each year in L.A. County. Additionally, 47,500 new cases of Chlamydia were reported last year, 9,500 new cases of gonorrhea and nearly 1,800 new cases of syphilis.

What do you think of the county's latest campaign to raise condom awareness? Tell us in the comments section below.

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