This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on December 10, 2015.

The year was 1987, and a young university student named Davin Wedel was sitting in class at Tufts University, Massachusetts, when he heard a speech by surgeon-general C Everett Koop about how important condom use was to prevent the spread of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). During those early days, paranoia was rampant, and few understood the virus, how it spread, and, most importantly, how to treat HIV infection. It was the time before the use of antiretroviral drugs and most AIDS sufferers eventually succumbed to the disease, but not before being ostracised and stigmatised. 

Obsessed with the knowledge that such a simple, cheap tool is key to preventing the spread of this deadly virus, Wedel embarked on a lifelong mission to break the silence and taboos on condom use. Believing that condoms desperately needed an image overhaul, he created the Happy Jumbo, a condom matchbook featuring the Tufts mascot, Jumbo the Elephant. The success of the Happy Jumbo empowered Wedel to move his efforts off-campus, and in 1988, he formed Global Protection Corp, which is now a subsidiary of Karex Bhd, a Malaysian company that is one of the leading condom manufacturers in the world. 

Although medical breakthroughs have been made in treating HIV/AIDS over the years, the disease is still a global epidemic, and in Malaysia alone, there are thousands of new cases reported every year. In 2014, 3,517 new HIV cases were reported, and the entire country is estimated to have a total of 88,903 people living with HIV. This means that one out of every 8,547 people in Malaysia is currently living with HIV, a disease that can be prevented, seeing as 50% of HIV cases reported in 2014 involved heterosexual couples, 28% involved homosexual/bisexual partners, and just 19% from injecting drug users, 1% from mother to child and 3% from others types of transmission. 

On Dec 1, which is World AIDS Day, non-profit organisation WOMEN:girls partnered with Karex to kick-start the #musthaveONE campaign and start the conversation on HIV/AIDS in the hopes of making the topic less taboo and more relevant to the Malaysian community. 

“In conjunction with World AIDS Day, Karex celebrates an important day of social awareness. HIV/AIDS is not just someone else’s problem — it’s our problem. I am a firm believer that education is the most efficient tool. We are here to break the taboo and challenge the norms to make a difference,” said M K Goh, group CEO of Karex, at the World AIDS Day event that saw the launch of ONE Condoms in Malaysia. 

For the past decade, ONE has incorporated artistic expression and customer participation through design contests, inviting thousands of artists to submit original designs to be considered for condom wrappers. The award-winning brand is distinctive with its signature round wrappers that feature impactful and fun artwork. 

This year, ONE is partnering with three top Malaysian designers — Sandakan-born graffiti artist Kenji Chai, Fearless Ideas & Design founder and creative director David Liew, and renowned digital artist Muid Latif — to design its limited-edition World AIDS Day ONE condoms. 

During the event itself, a live art drawing presented by young local painter Haris Rashid, founder of Studio Mekar, was auctioned to raise funds for PT Foundation’s Community Health Care Centre in Sentul. The centre allows people free access to anonymous and confidential HIV screening and counselling, as well as telephone and face-to-face counselling. Haris, who is a native of Kedah, is adept at using a mix of colour pencils, acrylic, watercolour and various types of pigments for his work. His colourful artwork focuses on portraits and animals, and during the World AIDS Day event, he painted a beautifully textured eagle in various shades of pink, blue and red holding a rose in its talons. 

Chai, Liew, Muid and Haris join a long list of foreign artists like The Weeknd, New York City graffiti artists and other famous street artists who have all designed condoms for ONE. Some of ONE’s most well-received designs, STOP signs designed by graffiti artists, were sold at the ever-popular Urban Outfitters stores around the United States during the #LustForLife campaign, curated by renowned street artist Billi Kid. 

A short documentary on what people think of HIV/AIDS and what is necessary to raise awareness of one of the most destructive pandemics in history was also showcased during the Dec 1 event, along with the launch of the #musthaveONE campaign, which encourages people to always carry protection wherever they go. 

With the help of ONE, whose condoms will be hitting stores nationwide from the middle of this month, Wedel and Goh hope to make them more easily accessible and acceptable amongst the youth with their quirky and colourful designs. Wedel has previously invented glow-in-the-dark condoms and Smiley Pops, which quickly became so popular that stores began to sell them on the main sales floors. 

Unlike the traditional square boxes that other brands’ condoms come in, ONE condoms come in various sizes of sleek coloured metal tins with artwork and unique designs on their wrappers. In fact, these condoms barely resemble condoms at all, and the packages that they come in are worth collecting, just for sheer pleasure.