On World AIDS Day - Debunking the Myth that Condoms are Available to Everyone Who Wants Them
December 1, 2003Today, more than 20 years after the virus made itself known, 14,000 people a day – almost 10 people a minute – become unnecessarily infected with HIV. A growing number of these new infections occur through heterosexual sex. The best protection against sexually transmitted HIV remains the condom, yet condom availability in areas hardest hit by the pandemic remains dangerously low.
Worldwide, only 42 percent of at-risk individuals have access to condoms. Any prevention effort that does not include condoms as an option will be incomplete and ultimately ineffective.
To be effective, HIV/AIDS prevention programs must include a mix and range of methods tailored to meet the various needs and behaviors of individuals. The range must include promotion of the “ABCs” of prevention: Abstinence, Being faithful to one’s partner, and Condom use by the sexually active. A comprehensive strategy will ensure that people have all the tools they need to make healthy choices and protect themselves from HIV.
Winning the war against AIDS requires winning the war against the stigmas and taboos surrounding the disease and the tools we have to fight it – especially condoms. This will require leadership from all levels of government and society, including, in particular, the wealthy donor countries such as the United States who have the resources needed to fund comprehensive prevention strategies. This is the only way to make real progress against HIV/AIDS.
Population Action International (PAI) works to improve individual well-being and preserve global resources by mobilizing political and financial support for population, family planning and reproductive health policies and programs.
