Utah: Liberate the Condoms, Protesters Demand

In a demonstration organized by the activist group CodePink, about 10 women gathered Friday outside Smith's Food & Drug store in Salt Lake City to protest its policy of locking a case that includes condoms, pregnancy tests and other reproduction-related products. Employees said the case in the 24-hour market is only locked at night, when such items are more likely to be stolen. "They shouldn't be locked up at all," said CodePink protester Jennifer De Tapia. "This is a neighborhood with a lot of young urban people and they should have easy access to condoms."

CodePink, a social responsibility and reproductive rights group, contends that locking up the condoms may discourage purchasers who are too embarrassed to ask a store manager to unlock the case. As a result, according to their argument, those who might otherwise practice safe sex do not. The group maintains that the store has declined an offer from Planned Parenthood to replace any condoms stolen if the products are kept accessible. They also contend that Smith's will not place signs informing any would-be thieves of where they could procure free condoms.

Customer Lyndsey Scull, 20, said that locking away the condoms adds to an already intimidating stigma for teenage girls. "For girls, pre-college, you either depend on the guy or you don't use them at all," said Scull. Other customers disagreed, noting that sexually active young people could go to other stores to buy condoms if they did not want to ask a manager to open the case.

While the store's managers did not directly address the women's concerns, they did accept a bright pink "writ of habeas corpus" demanding the condoms be unlocked, as well as a handout describing locations where condoms are handed out free.

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