PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Philadelphia Health Department is holding a design contest to draw awareness to the importance of condom use.

Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health Division of Disease Control is looking for young artists to design a Philadelphia specific wrapper for condoms.

“There is a $250 prize and we are hoping the designs will be both unique and communicate a positive message. We are not looking for things that are in any way defensive to people. We would like whatever messages are on the package to be a positive one,” City Health Commissioner Dr. Donald Schwarz said.

The Department of Health provides about a million free condoms a year and hopes to increase that number because Dr. Schwarz says the rates of sexually transmitted diseases have been going up in Philadelphia.

For more information, visit www.phila.gov/health.

Reported By: John McDevitt