globalmappingofpleasure

Population Services
International Cambodia
Lube and condoms for slippery and safe sex
Population Services International Cambodia
29, Street 334, PO Box 153
Boeung Keng Kang 1
Chamcar Mon
Phnom Penh
Cambodia
Tel +855 23 210 814/218 846
Web www.psi.org
PSI/Cambodia decided to meet the need for lube by
launching a water-based lubricant product and educational
campaign that focused on the pleasure benefits of lube for
sex workers and men who have sex with men.
Population services International Cambodia (PSI/
Cambodia) uses social marketing to deliver
health products, services and information to lowincome
and other vulnerable people. In 1994, the
organization introduced the Number One brand
of condoms in Cambodia along with an HIV
awareness-raising campaign. As of 2002, Number
One condoms were available in 97% of all brothels in
Cambodia and were the market leader.
While condom availability has increased in Cambodia,
NGOs working with sex workers and men who have
sex with men expressed a great need for water-based
lubricants to be available and affordable, to increase
the comfort and effectiveness of condoms and
thereby encourage their use. Water-based lube can
minimize condom breakage and, therefore, contribute
to safer sex; but it can also increase pleasure for the
penetrator and reduce vaginal and anal friction for
the receptor. PSI/Cambodia decided to meet the
need for lube by launching a water-based lubricant
product and educational campaign that focused on
the pleasure benefits of lube for sex workers and men
who have sex with men.
Water-based lube cannot effectively prevent HIV
transmission on its own, and in fact selling lube as
a stand-alone product can result in higher levels of
unprotected sex. So PSI/Cambodia packaged their
lubricant together with the Number One condom to
create Number One Plus. Through this campaign, PSI/
Cambodia used the power of pleasure to encourage
people to pair condoms with lube as a way to make
condoms feel better and thereby increase their use.
The messaging used to advertise Number One Plus
was a critical part of the campaign’s success. The
key message was that Number One Plus water-based
lubricant, when used with a Number One condom,
makes sex safer and more pleasurable. Other key
messages included: lubricant must be used with a
condom; lubricant improves condoms by increasing
their durability; lubricants are not a luxury item, but
rather a common household good; oil-based lubes
(including hair oil, body cream, cooking oils, baby oil,
and petroleum jelly) can break down latex condoms,
thereby decreasing their effectiveness; how much
lube to use and how to use it.
In addition to PSI/Cambodia’s work with other NGOs
and organizations to get the word out about Number
One Plus, its advertising efforts included television and
radio spots, as well as point-of-sale marketing.
Reaction to the campaign was slow at first,
but steadily improved. Sales have exceeded
expectations. In terms of implementing the
campaign, PSI/Cambodia reports that there were
no problems incorporating pleasure elements into
their work at the Cambodia staff level, but says there
were some concerns about undertaking pleasure
work in their main office. There was, however, some
local resistance to working with men who have sex
with men as a primary target group.
Sales have exceeded expectations... PSI/Cambodia
reports that there were no problems incorporating
pleasure elements into their work at the Cambodia
staff level, but says there were some concerns about
undertaking pleasure work in their main office.
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