When you don't want to #CatchEmAll [1], condoms help prevent pregnancy and STDs. #PokemonGO [2] https://t.co/pSXlC9cpsZ [3] pic.twitter.com/FrgWRMc7rD [4]
— Planned Parenthood (@ppmn) July 13, 2016 [5]
If you've logged on to any form of social media or opened a browser at all this week, you know that Pokémon Go [6] has taken over, and not even Planned Parenthood can resist the allure of the craze. The nonprofit tweeted [7] a picture promoting safe sex, which showed a cartoon Charmander crossed with a condom. We have to admit, it's actually kind of cute. The graphic was originally designed by Advocates For Youth [8], a nonprofit which focuses on sexual health for people between 14 and 25.
Pokémon Go has already yielded unpredictable benefits like encouraging people with social anxiety [9] to interact with other players and has even sparked some romances. It doesn't seem that far-fetched then that Pokémon Go could also motivate people to wear condoms. After all, in this scenario, no one wants to catch them all . . .