MEDFORD (AP) - A nylon necklace strung with condoms has sparked outrage at the county fair.

Chris Borovansky, manager of the Jackson County Fair, said he has asked Planned Parenthood to stop teaching teenagers how to make "condom leis" after numerous complaints were filed with fair officials.

"We talked to them today and asked them not to do that," said Borovansky. "We asked them not to flaunt something or make something more than it is."

But a bowl of free candy-colored condoms was allowed to remain in the booth according to the terms of Planned Parenthood's fair contract, he added.

More than 15 people e-mailed or called to complain about the project in which older teens were allowed to make condom necklaces fashioned of nylon netting, condom packets and pipecleaners.

Planned Parenthood representatives said the activity was aimed at removing the stigma and secrecy from contraceptive use.

"The intent is to make condoms a normal part of life," said Paul Robinson, community relations director. "You do what attracts the older youth."

The necklace project was so popular among older teens that the booth ran out of supplies, said Deanna Leitner, public affairs field organizer with Planned Parenthood. But younger children were not allowed to make the necklaces or take free condoms.

"We were talking about condoms and being safe," she said. "I'm certainly not doing what I'm accused of doing, which is distributing condoms to very young children."

The presence of condoms at the fair outraged Niquita Wilkinson, 45, of Eagle Point. She said she saw two teenage girls stringing condom necklaces Tuesday night.

"It's not a bar, it's not a truck stop, it's not a bowling alley," said Wilkinson. "The fair is like the biggest kids' thing around. It's just not appropriate here," she said.

Several members of Southern Oregon Right-to-Life were among protesters, but it wasn't an organized e-mail campaign, said Bryan Platt, 50, the group's president.

"I think it's a random effort by people who are offended that they're putting condoms out there where kids can take them," he said. "That is utterly disgusting that they would turn this into an arts-and-crafts project."

Planned Parenthood representatives contend that access to contraceptives is vital in a country in which the average age of first intercourse is 16. Several studies have shown there's no evidence that making contraception available increases promiscuity, Robinson said.

Condoms can continue to be distributed at the fair because they're not a controlled substance prohibited in the contract, Borovansky said. Planned Parenthood's presence should not disrupt the family atmosphere of the fair, he added.

"My opinion would be that having condoms in a booth does not constitute more than a G rating. You can see more at a movie or a store," he said. "This is one of those cases where we'll have to agree to disagree."

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Information from: Mail Tribune