Planned Parenthood of Utah is scrapping plans to distribute condoms featuring a logo similar to one used by the Mormon Church to symbolize sexual abstinence.
The women’s health and abortion provider had planned to hand out the condoms at a Salt Lake City symposium for Sunstone Magazine, a foundation that leads discussion about the Mormon experience. But after backlash on its Facebook page over an image featured on the wrappers, Planned Parenthood told the Associated Press it no longer plans to hand them out.
The condoms featured an image of a shield similar to so-called CTR, or “Choose the Right,” rings often worn by Mormon youth as a commitment to obeying the church’s teachings.
“Our intent was never to offend, but to use the idea of ‘choosing the right’ to spark open, honest conversations about sexual health and contraception,” Planned Parenthood of Utah wrote on its Facebook wall.
“We strive to be sensitive to our community and after listening to feedback, we have decided to remove the photo from our Facebook page and not give out the condoms at the Sunstone Symposium. We do not want to distract from the conference itself or from the more important information our volunteers are there to share.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints owns the rights to the shield design and the phrase, according to an LDS spokeswoman, who declined to say whether the church would file a lawsuit.
