More and more youngsters are taking part in the #CondomChallenge, a viral trend that has people dropping water-filled condoms on their heads to allegedly make a point.
While the reason behind the social media challenge is still unclear, reports said that participants believe it ito be an advoacy for promoting safe sex, especially among young people.
The stunt is also meant to disprove the myth that a man might not be able to wear a condom if his genitals are too large.
Challengers argued that if a person's head can fit inside a single condom, then no one is too well-endowed to wear one.
The condom challenge supposedly began with two Japanese men who posted a video on Twitter on Nov. 16 showing their successful attempt. The post has now garnered more than 9,000 retweets and likes.
The popularity of the stunt has grown since then, so much that an official Twitter account called Condom Challenge has been created to choose the funniest attempts to finish the challenge.
Some Facebook and Instagram users have also begun posting their attempts at the condom challenge.
— Josh (@xnysn) November 16, 2015
I highly recommend to not do this challenge #condomchallenge pic.twitter.com/84J2P4BuGi — Gus Esham (@the_OG_lowkey58) November 25, 2015
Another victim of the #CondomChallenge pic.twitter.com/WV2n7JeS2O
— Condom Challenge (@CondomChaIlenge) November 23, 2015
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that while sexually transmitted diseases affect individuals across all age groups, these illnesses are particularly devastating to young people.
The agency estimates that individuals between 15 to 24 years old comprise more than one quarter of sexually active people in the United States. However, they also make up around half of the 20 million people who contract sexually transmitted infections (STIs) every year.
The American Sexual Health Association said that young people are vulnerable to STIs because they tend to make decisions and engage in behaviors that increase their risk of exposure to such diseases.
These include having sex with multiple partners, engaging in unprotected sex, using alcohol and drugs at high rates and engaging in high risk acts while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The CDC said that wearing a condom during sex helps protect individuals from sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, herpes or the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is responsible for causing genital warts and cervical cancer.
The agency, however, stressed that the only sure way to prevent people from contracting STIs is to avoid having sex.
