header banner
TECHNOLOGY

On World AIDS Day, condom maker calls for safe-sex emoji

LONDON, Dec 1: Time for an official safe-sex emoji? Condom maker Durex says so and is presenting a formal submission on Wednesday, World AIDS Day, to get coding consortium Unicode to adopt one.
By Reuters

LONDON, Dec 1: Time for an official safe-sex emoji?


Condom maker Durex says so and is presenting a formal submission on Wednesday, World AIDS Day, to get coding consortium Unicode to adopt one.


In the run-up to the day - designed to unite people around the world in the fight against HIV/AIDS - Durex launched a social media campaign last month “to create the first official safe-sex emoji”, asking users to use #condomemoji.


Related story

HIV/Aids and Stigma


In an age of smartphones and tablets, emoticons, the small icons that are used to express emotions or physical things, are “crucial” to how young couples communicate, Durex said.


Citing its own research, the company said in a statement some 80 percent of 16-25 year olds find it easier to express themselves with emojis. Some 84 percent felt more comfortable using icons when talking about sex, Durex added.


Durex said it was sending the submission to Unicode following “resounding global support” for the campaign.


A video for the campaign showed various way emojis are used to discuss sex, but noted the lack of one encouraging safe-sex.


It proposed an angled, inflated condom.

Related Stories
My City

Cooper Hewitt acquires two emoji that symbolize in...

SOCIETY

World AIDS Day being celebrated in Nepal today

My City

Aids and use of a condom

TECHNOLOGY

London translation firm seeks emoji specialist

Lifestyle

Smiling poop emoji takes over at first ever Emojic...