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Forget roses. This Valentine's Day, some Tucsonans will be receiving "condom bouquets."

Although you might not know it, it's National Condom Week, and Planned Parenthood is promoting proper condom use by holding outreach activities around Tucson through its Teen Advisory Group.

The youth group kicked off the week's events Sunday with a "condom picnic" at Himmel Park. In addition to food, games and activities, the group offered attendees "safer sex kits," which included condoms, lubricants and educational brochures to encourage condom use to help prevent unexpected teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

On Wednesday, the group will decorate city sidewalks and pavement with chalk art on Fourth Avenue and Downtown in front of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library. The group will use chalk art to help spread the word of this week's public outreach.

To celebrate Valentine's Day on the 14th, the group plans to deliver the "condom bouquets" — packages of condoms arranged to look like flowers — to local government offices and businesses that have shown support to the youth group and Planned Parenthood.

The week's activities will conclude Friday when the group will present and educate economically challenged youth, ages 16 through 24, at the Tucson branch of the Job Corps. The group will hold demonstrations to tout the diversity of condoms. The event will feature specialty condoms — colored, flavored and textured — to illustrate the "fun" side of condoms, said Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Bridget Daly.

"What they're doing is really important for the community," she said. "Peer-to-peer education can have a huge impact on youth because, often, teens have a tough time talking with adults about sexual health."

The youth group comprises five young adults, ages 14 to 20, whose aim is to provide more accessible sex education for teens. Trained by Planned Parenthood, the group holds formal and informal outreach programs and events throughout the year to educate Tucson youth on methods of safer sex.

According to Planned Parenthood, proper condom use is highly effective in preventing the transmission of HIV and effective in preventing pregnancy and several sexually transmitted infections.