Gel bracelets (or jelly bracelets) are a type of wristband often made from silicone. Gel bracelets Gel bracelets usually have a rectangular or circular cross-section. They are stretchy and come in a variety of colors. They have been popular in waves throughout the Western world and elsewhere since the 1980s. Charity awareness wristbands Awareness bracelet wristbands carry messages demonstrating the wearer's support of a cause or charitable organization. The silicone wristband first became popular in 2004 with the Livestrong yellow band which was set up by American cyclist Lance Armstrong to raise awareness of cancer. Subsequently, a larger, wide variety became more popular in 2007, with musical groups selling them to young concert fans. The wristbands are often seen by young people as trendier than traditional charity pins. The wristbands have also become a popular tool used in fundraising, as both the wider and thinner bands are cheap to custom manufacture. The price of these wristbands varies depending on the particular campaign but is often $1 or £1, and the majority of the money usually goes towards the charity or cause involved. Urban legend of sex bracelets During a resurgence in popularity in 2003, gel bracelets became the subject of a widespread urban legend linking them to a supposed sex game, explaining their popularity among young teenagers. They were subsequently dubbed "sex bracelets". According to rumors, people who wore the jewelry implied they were willing to engage in various acts with whoever pulled them from their wrists. The acts ranged from hugging to kissing to sexual intercourse and were determined by the bracelet's color. In October 2003, the rumors were prominent enough in Alachua Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida that the principal banned the bracelets to avert disruption and inappropriate comments about them. They were subsequently banned in other schools in Florida and elsewhere. The effectors of these early bans did not insinuate that the rumors were true; however, some later media reports suggested that they may have been generating a moral panic. The British press reported on the supposed meanings of the band's colors in 2005. A very similar set of stories surfaced in the British media in 2009, in which the bracelets were allegedly nicknamed shag bands. Similar stories circulated widely in Brazil during the 2009/2010 summer, where the bracelets were referred to as pulseiras do sexo. In March 2010, a 13-year-old girl in Brazil was raped by