With Valentine’s Day soon approaching, there is no question that love will be in the air. But next week’s celebration of National Condom Week will be to make Iowa State students aware of the sexual transmitted diseases that may come along with love.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa’s Ames center is taking part in the celebration by making condoms free next week, said Tammi Rekemeyer-Treimer, staff supervisor for Planned Parenthood, 2530 Chamberlain St.

Although most people buy condoms at drug stores, Rekemeyer-Treimer said they are always available at Planned Parenthood.

“College students come here [with] the free coupon in the college coupon book,” she said. “Condoms are 35 cents a piece here; I’m not sure everyone’s aware of that.”

In addition to supplying contraception, Planned Parenthood also provides sexual education services such as answering questions about birth control and STDs. It even offers a condom trivia quiz for people to test their knowledge about condom use.

Project PLAY (Protecting Lives of At-Risk Youth), along with the Golden Key Honor Society, is hosting a project funded by the AIDS Project of Central Iowa for National Condom Week.

Myke Selha, Project PLAY member and project coordinator, said the groups are planning to hand out Valentines with condoms attached to them at a booth in the Memorial Union.

This event is not the only service Project PLAY provides for students about sexual education.

“I facilitate a ‘condom crew’,” Selha said. “We go to places where youth hang out and talk with them about safe sex and pass out condoms. We do the same thing in bars.”

Sexual education programs through the university also will be informing students about the dangers of STDs during National Condom Week.

Diane Smith, office coordinator for ISU’s Student Health Center, said providing sexual education to students is a large function of the center.

“We offer everything — birth control pills, intrauterine devices (IUDs), diaphragms. Norplant is not very common, but it’s also available,” she said.

Students interested in birth control are encouraged to make an appointment to receive proper information and instruction, Smith said.

“Certain doctors fit diaphragms, some do IUDs,” she said. “There are lots of options out there.”

Though the importance of safe sex has received increased publicity during recent years, many people continue to ignore the dangers associated with not practicing safe sex.

“Condoms are 97 percent effective if used correctly and consistently,” Rekemeyer-Treimer said. “Inconsistent protection is the same as no protection.”

One of the most important keys in practicing safe sex is communication.

“Think about or talk about [condom use] with your partner before it reaches that point,” Selha said. “It’s much easier to make a good decision before you’re in the heat of the moment.”