Condoms are an integral part of practicing safe sex and lowering the risk of harmful sexually transmitted diseases or infections. While condoms are an ideal tool with a long history of successful usage as a contraceptive method, they can also be expensive, especially if you are using them frequently. Take one look at the online sites of some of the most accessible retailers across the USA, and you’ll get a sense of just how much condoms can cost.
On CVS’s website, various kinds of condoms (from ultra-thin to ribbed to flavored) range in price based on the number you’re buying: a three-pack goes for $5.99, and prices vary up to $26.49 for a 36-count value pack. Interestingly, Walmart offers a much wider variety of condoms, with different brands available and at price points ranging from $1.88 into the ballpark of $30 (for value packs and the like), and they offer both male and female condoms — not too shabby. Even the comparatively affordable and greener condom varietals, like Sustain Natural condoms, can get expensive quickly, with prices ranging from $13.99 to $144.99 before shipping costs regardless of size but dependent on the number you want to get.
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However, in an economy in which many folks are looking to save money and not spend on extravagant items — which is potentially how condoms could be seen under these circumstances — the ability to find free condoms that do not skimp on the quality or variety can be tough, especially if you do not live in a major city or populous area. So, given this, let’s try and suss out all the ways you can get free condoms so you can stop sweating the issue of safe sex.
If you’re in college, you have easy access to free condoms
If you’re reading this and you happen to be a college student, then you have an easy solution for getting free condoms without ever leaving campus. That’s right: the student health center. With the possible exception of faith-based universities and online universities, many college students are able to inquire at their on-campus health centers about free condoms.
Try this handy website
Thankfully, you don’t have to live in a major city to have access to free condoms. The website Condom Finder allows you to type in your zip code and a map will pop up with various locations that are safe and accessible for you to get free condoms.
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Don’t forget about Planned Parenthood
The old standby, Planned Parenthood, remains one of the best options for getting your hands on free condoms in addition to the variety of other lifesaving services PP provides. You can go here, type in your zip code and find the center nearest to you.
Talk to your doctor
Another great way to get free condoms, as Seventeen magazine notes, is to make an appointment to see your doctor — although you’ll probably want to ask while scheduling the appointment to make sure your doctor’s office provides this service. Don’t be embarrassed about asking if you can get free condoms; that’s one of the reasons your doctor is here to help you.
Try your local health department
This is another great option for folks who may live in more suburban or rural areas because local health departments are always available, even when a place like Planned Parenthood isn’t. You can easily Google your local health department and call ahead to double check that they are able to give away free condoms.
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Getting free condoms doesn’t have to be scary or a slog. Hopefully, at least one of the above suggestions is feasible for you, and you’ll no longer feel like access to one of the most popular forms of birth control is out of your reach.
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