The Health Center gives away more condoms throughout February and around Valentine's Day than any other time of year.
Planned Parenthood and the Health Center, which offers students five free condoms per day, try to make condom events fun for college-aged students in an attempt to educate them about safe sex.
Planned Parenthood media contact Kate Shepherd said the national observance began as a week-long event on the University of California Berkeley's campus.
Larisa Niles-Carnes, Planned Parenthood of Indiana educator, said February was chosen because it is the month of love.
In preparation for Spring Break debauchery, the Health Center will have a table featuring condoms and other information about sexual health set up in the Atrium next week.
"It's extremely important that even when you're going away on Spring Break that you still use condoms," Health educator Anna Lamb said. "Sexual health is part of who we are. Good, healthy sexual behavior is important to overall health."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, condoms are between 85 and 98 percent effective at preventing pregnancy and also help prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
Niles-Carnes said latex condoms are the most effective, followed by the newer, synthetic polyurethane and lambskin models.
She said she encourages shopping around to find the condom that best fits you. The Trojan condoms Web site features 35 types of condoms.
"There's such a huge variety that there shouldn't be a reason to not use one," she said.
Planned Parenthood offers condoms for 30 cents each at the Muncie location, Niles-Carnes said. She said Planned Parenthood doesn't carry non-latex condoms, but plans are in the works to incorporate them.
In recognition of Condom Awareness Month, Planned Parenthood Young Leaders sponsored an '80s-themed prom Feb. 12. Niles-Carnes said condoms were distributed at the event in the form of corsages and boutonnieres.
Planned Parenthood's Web site also features an instructional YouTube video showing how to put on a condom.
"A lot of the time it's a little harder to put a condom on than people think," Niles-Carnes said.
The Health Center is conducting an American College Health Association health risk survey of about 1,000 students this week and next to determine information about sexual health on Ball State University's campus.
The last study, done in 2003, revealed that sexually active students used condoms about 50 percent of the time.
Lamb said this is a problem, because it shows condoms are not being used the other 50 percent of the time.
She said the Health Center is working to hold informative tabling events about every two weeks on campus.
"We're constantly pushing sexual health," Lamb said.
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