Sir Richard's combines charity, sex and plaid: Buy one give one condoms

By April MacIntyre Nov 16, 2011, 1:58 GMT

An American company has created the first \'buy one give one\' condom: Sir Richard’s Condom Company.

An American company has created the first 'buy one give one' condom: Sir Richard’s Condom Company.

The founding mission of Sir Richard’s is to help bridge that gap and for every condom sold, Sir Richard’s donates one to a developing country.  Sir Richard’s Condom Company was conceived by Mathew Gerson, now the Chief Brand Ambassador who was influenced by his father's work as a pediatric oncologist and later through his studies of Buddhist contemplative traditions, Gerson learned of a global shortage of free condoms in impoverished areas like Haiti, and decided to do something about it.

The inspiration for Sir Richard's 'buy one give one' campaign came to Gerson while reading 'Mountains Beyond Mountains' by Tracy Kidder, a biography on the life and work of Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health.

Gerson enlisted the help of Marc Baptiste, a cultural ambassador to Haiti to help further Sir Richard's cause.

Baptiste is a celebrated photographer, filmmaker and humanitarian, Baptiste joined Sir Richard's team and is leading the design and branding of Sir Richard's Haitian condoms, which will be distributed alongside charitable organization Partners in Health (PIH), which distributes the free condoms made possible by people's purchases of Sir Richard's condoms.

The Hatian project Zanmi Lasante (ZL) is PIH's oldest.  It distributes, on average, two million condoms a year at eleven sites across Haiti. ZL's community clinics are renowned for both their ground-breaking work providing free HIV care and treatment, and for their strong commitment to women's health.

When the earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010, ZL provided care to many of the hundreds of thousands who fled to areas of Haiti outside of Port-au-Prince; and established health clinics at four settlements for internally displaced people in the city.

Right now in Haiti the cost of buying condoms is high and the need for free condoms is growing. Healthcare providers in the settlement camps and clinics have expressed a need for more free condoms to keep a probable surge of new HIV infections from happening in the post-disaster regions.

The condoms themselves are stylishly presented in plaid, multicolored for each type, extra thin, ribbed, dotted and extra large.

Exceeding FDA requirements and of the highest quality, Sir Richard’s condoms are 100% natural latex, vegan-friendly and with lubricant that is free of glycerin, spermicide and parabens. 

National Condom Month comes in February, and Christmas is around the corner. Your purchase of these condoms helps a fellow out in another country who doesn't have it so good.

Made in the USA, Sir Richard’s condoms can be found at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide, independent grocers, upscale boutiques and hotels, as well as online at www.sirrichards.com.