Condoms may get some New York City style

NEW YORK – Available soon from City Hall: an official New York condom in a jazzy wrapper, perhaps one printed with a colorful subway map or some other city theme.

New York City hands out 1.5 million free condoms a month in ordinary wrappers, and health officials figure people would be more likely to actually use them if the packaging were more distinctive.

“Brands work, and people use branded items more than they use nonbranded items, whether it’s a cola or a medicine, even,” Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said.

The health department, which uses the condom program to fight AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, said it still considering package designs. Among the possibilities: a subway theme, with the various lines shown in different colors.