RFSU condoms are being sold in packaging shaped like a snus tin in Sweden, as the sexual health organisation tries to make it easier for young people to carry protection at a time when condom use with new partners has declined.
A condom package designed around a Swedish habit
The new packaging draws on a simple observation from RFSU’s annual Condom Survey (Kondomkollen): many young people say they want to use condoms, but often do not have one with them when they need it. Snus, by contrast, is frequently carried in pockets and bags.
More than one in five people aged 16 to 29 in Sweden use snus daily, according to the figures cited by RFSU. The organisation says the format of a snus tin can therefore work as a practical “vehicle” for condoms, making them easier to remember and carry.
The idea is not to associate condoms with tobacco use, but to borrow a familiar object from everyday Swedish life. The tin is intended to make condom use less dependent on planning and more compatible with how many young people already move through social settings.
RFSU says the snus-style tin is clearly marked
The packaging choice may be sensitive because snus is a nicotine product and can be addictive. It also has an age limit and remains connected, in youth culture, with something partly adult and partly transgressive.
Jacob Östberg, a professor of marketing, told Sweden Herald that this element of risk and familiarity may also explain why the format can appeal to younger consumers. A product that resembles something already present in their everyday lives can feel less formal than conventional condom packaging.
RFSU says there should be no risk of confusion. Anette Otterström, brand and communications manager at RFSU AB, said the product is clearly presented as condoms and that the organisation has taken care to ensure that consumers do not mistake it for snus.
Condom habits in Sweden show a gap between intention and use
RFSU has conducted the Condom Survey every year since 2009 to track sex and condom habits across the Nordic countries, excluding Iceland. The latest figures point to a mixed picture in Sweden.
In last year’s survey, 40 percent of Swedes said they had used a condom during the past year, while 30 percent described condoms as their most common contraceptive method. Just over half, 51 percent, said they had used a condom at their first sexual encounter.
The more concerning figure is linked to new partners. Some 44 percent said they used a condom the last time they had sex with a new partner, down from 47 percent the previous year. At the same time, 55 percent said they find it easy to suggest condom use with a new partner.
That gap is central to the campaign. The data suggests that reluctance is not always the main barrier. Access, timing and habit can also shape whether protection is used.
Sexual health campaigns are adapting to everyday behaviour
The Swedish campaign reflects a broader shift in public health communication. Rather than relying only on information about risk, organisations increasingly try to design interventions around daily routines and small behavioural barriers.
For sexual health in Sweden, the snus-style tin is a culturally specific solution. It uses an object closely associated with Swedish youth habits to address a practical problem: condoms are more likely to be used when they are available at the right moment.
The approach also shows the balance public health organisations must strike. Packaging that feels familiar can lower barriers, but it must avoid normalising harmful products or creating confusion. RFSU’s bet is that the format can make protection more visible, portable and easier to discuss.
The campaign will be watched as an example of how Nordic sexual health organisations are trying to update prevention messages for younger generations. Its impact will depend less on novelty than on whether it helps turn positive attitudes toward condoms into actual use.
