Melanie Bucoy

For Valentine’s Week, NJIT’s SAC and Theta Chi teamed up and hosted an unusual game night that sparked many people’s curiosities. On Tuesday, February 10, Condom Bingo was hosted at the Pub. It was exactly as the name suggests: an ordinary game of Bingo with a twist, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Freshman Josh Wolfe says, “Condom Bingo had a great turnout, it was a fun way to teach people about safe sex, especially because Valentine’s Day is this Saturday.”

Not only were students given an opportunity to play a fun game of Bingo with condoms, but they also gained awareness for sexual health and learned facts they might not have known before.

Each player received a board containing squares with terms relating to sexual health in place of the numbers you usually find on a Bingo board. The players also received a bowl of condoms to mark their boards. Each bowl contained different Durex condoms, ranging from High Sensation to Extra Sensitive. They also had pamphlets containing instructions and safety information about condoms.

Two hosts asked questions relating to sexual health; once they revealed the answer, players who had the corresponding response on their board would place a condom down as a marker. Players who had Bingo would then come up and spin a wheel to get different prizes. Some of the prizes given out were beanies, bags, and even cash. More importantly, everyone went home with the condoms they used in the game as well as new bits of information.

The majority of the questions asked involved information that everyone could benefit from to promote safe sex; it was a good thing this was held, as the audience answered many of the questions incorrectly.

Some of the questions asked were “How often does a woman need a Depo-Provera shot, which is an injectable birth control method?” (Every three months) “What are things that make a condom more likely to break?” (Air bubbles, oil-based lubricants, heat, or light) and “What is the acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome?” (AIDS)

If people did not know the answers they would shout out something else to make it amusing. Judging from their humorous, yet ill-fitting, answers it is clear that not everyone is well-informed on the subject of sex. On the plus side, the humor did break the awkward barrier that surrounds the subject and therefore made Condom Bingo effective in promoting sexual awareness.

Once the audience did learn what the true answers were many people responded with “Oh, I never knew that.” Condom Bingo did a great job in getting the message across that it essential to stay informed about sex in order to be safe.

The subject of sex may take a humorous tone, especially when applied to a game, but Condom Bingo bridged that gap between comicality and seriousness. The game did more than just make people giggle, it helped raise awareness for sexual health. It is important that as college students we should all be wary of all aspects of sexual health to promote safety and assurance between all partners.

Condom Bingo gave students a chance to have fun and learn important information that pertains to all lives. At the end of the day, whether it’s Valentine’s Day or just a normal Tuesday, you should always be safe!