Photo: 123rf
A sex toy company has given out hundreds of packs of condoms to raise awareness of sexually transmitted infections.
The Adulttoymegastore teamed up with the Victoria University Students’ Association to run a sausage sizzle and give out free condoms at the Wellington campus on Thursday.
The event saw 600 handed out.
Adulttoymegastore owner Nicola Relph told RNZ that the campus barbecue was about reminding students why it “pays to wrap your sausage” with 54 percent rarely or never using condoms, according to a recent STI survey.
(L-R) Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association’s Whitley Mallory and Jules Powell, with Adulttoymegastore owner Nicola Relph, handing out free condoms at a campus sausage sizzle.
Photo: Supplied / Victoria University / Adulttoymegastore
“We are providing them the right benefits in terms of condoms and allowing them to take them for free and chat with their mates.”
Relph said that condoms were the most effective form of prevention for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
“Despite STI rates remaining high, too many Kiwis are forgoing the simplest and most effective form of prevention.”
According to the New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science, annual Syphilis cases have risen from 406 cases in 2022 to 730 in 2025.
And although New Zealand’s STI rate is relatively high for a developed country, with only 44 percent of Kiwis testing for an STI in the past 12 months, Relph said the rise is also part of a global trend.
“STI rates are increasing, I think the figure is doubling in Australia, and now recently we are hearing in the media about Fiji suffering from HIV sort of epidemics.”
She said as part of the promotion, Adulttoymegastore would be donating an additional 1500 condoms to the students’ association.
“We know students are feeling the crunch financially,” said Relph. “We hope gestures like this offer not only a bit of financial relief, but more importantly, some peace of mind.”
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