Giant Condom Constructed in Chile

If you happen to be travelling to Santiago, the capital of Chile, be prepared for this -  a giant condom has been constructed right smack dab in the middle of one of the main suburbs. It's fluorescent green, just to make sure you don't miss it, and 12 meters high (that's 40 feet in Englishspeak). Why, you might ask? Well, it seems they have a problem with something like 17% of the gals there under 19 are getting pregnant, and the local mayor, Rodolfo Carter, decided to do something about it by starting a new sex education campaign. The idea is not only to combat the high levels of unwanted teenage pregnancies in his La Florida district, but also to help tackle sexually transmitted diseases. The incidence of teenage pregnancy in La Florida is double the rate in wealthier neighborhoods, according to the mayor.

Previous safe sex campaigns haven't been popular with Carter's socially conservative Independent Democratic Union (UDI). But the mayor insists there's no conflict with traditional values. "This isn't a moral issue or attention seeking," he says, "The condom seeks to shake up people's consciences and get us working on practical solutions." The social media reaction has been generally positive, although one user commented: "What's next, a flying sperm over Santiago?"

Carter's safe sex campaign isn't the only part of his agenda likely to raise eyebrows with conservatives - he's also planning to create a cannabis plantation for La Florida cancer patients. He has asked Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to take marijuana off Chile's list of hard drugs. Yahoo!