Girl Germs Posters, 1996-1999

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Summary

Creator:
Coalition for Positive Sexuality
Abstract:
The Coalition for Positive Sexuality is a grassroots, not-for-profit, activist organization funded through grants and donations. CPS seeks to give teens information about sexual health and safe sex, and to facilitate dialogue in public schools about sex education. This collection consists of nine 18x24 posters produced by artist Jeanette May for the CPS Girl Germs campaign.
Extent:
2 Linear Feet
9 Items
Language:
Material in English and Spanish
Collection ID:
RL.00454

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of nine 18x24 posters created and distributed as part of The Coalition for Positive Sexuality's Girl Germs campaign in the late 1990s. These posters were created by artist Jeanette May, who was also a founding member of the CPS.

The posters include a black-and-white image of teenage women along with texts offering information about sex and sexuality, as well as telephone numbers for additional resources. All posters are captioned in both English and Spanish. Subjects covered by the posters include abortion, condoms, water-based lubricant, sexuality (including homosexuality and bisexuality), sex education, and rape.

Biographical / historical:

The Coalition for Positive Sexuality (CPS) was formed in Chicago in 1992 as a grassroots volunteer organization. Its founding members were from local high schools and groups such as Queer Nation, Emergency Clinic Defense Coalition, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, and No More Nice Girls. CPS was formed as a response to a health crisis among Chicago teens; its first project was to write and distribute Just Say Yes, a booklet for teens on safe sex and sexuality. This booklet has since been distributed nationwide in both English and Spanish.

CPS's second major initiative was the Girl Germs campaign, a poster series aimed at young women and addressing the issues of safe sex, sexual health, sexuality, pregnancy, and birth control. This series was produced by artist Jeanette May, a founding member of CPS, between 1996 and 1999. As explained by the CPS website, "although the posters speak specifically to young women, the posters prompt a dialogue meant to be over-heard by the general population. These posters are distributed to social service agencies, health clinics, juice bars, coffee houses, and anyone else who wants them."

Today, CPS is based in Washington, DC, with volunteer members living throughout the United States. Its website is www.positive.org.

Acquisition information:
The Girl Germs Posters were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase in 2010.
Processing information:

Processed by Meghan Lyon, May 2010

Encoded by Meghan Lyon, May 2010

Materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.

Accessions in this collection: 2010-0108.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. The library may require up to 48 hours to retrieve these materials for research use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Girl Germs Posters, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University