Durex wants a condom emoji on your phone

One million shares of the hashtag #CondomEmoji on World Aids Day could convince the company behind emojis to create a safe sex version.

Durex said it is hoping to tackle a “rise in apathy towards engaging in safer sexual practices”‚ but making it easier for the youth to communicate about it.

The company says its research shows that “84% of 16-25 year olds said they feel more comfortable talking about sex using emojis”.

This is why Durex has launched a worldwide campaign to call for “an official safe sex emoji to be created by the company behind emojis – Unicode”.

“Such an emoji will enable young people to overcome embarrassment around the discussion of safe sex‚ encourage conversation and raise awareness of the importance of using condoms in protecting against sexually transmitted infections (STIs)‚ including HIV and Aids‚” a Durex statement said.

“Many young people have gained their sexual knowledge through their own sexual activity and searching the internet‚” explained Durham University’s Dr Mark McCormack.

“While participants generally felt able to discuss safe sex within their romantic relationships‚ there was more uncertainty with new or potential partners. 80% welcomed the idea of the emoji to make the discussion of safe sex easier and more fun.”

World Aids Day is December 1.

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