LOS ANGELES – AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, is bolstering the condom supplies of government-run health departments as well as non-governmental organizations throughout the United States to mark International Condom Day, an awareness day promoting safer sex through condom use that is observed annually on February 13 around the world, in conjunction with Valentine’s Day. In addition to the ample donations, AHF is also celebrating the holiday with dozens of events in over 28 countries worldwide (see a full calendar of events at http://lovecondoms.org/icd-events/.
The condom donations include 1 million free condoms each for both the Cumberland and Robeson County health departments in North Carolina, 1 million free condoms for Dallas County Health and Human Services in Texas, and 4.5 million free condoms donated to over 195 participating organizations that requested supplies from the nonprofit. The condom donations will be dropped off in a series of large deliveries over time to ensure the benefitting groups have a steady supply of prophylactics to provide to the public. Additionally, two cases totaling more than 14,000 free condoms will be donated to the Ohio Department of Health.
“Condoms are undeniably among the most effective and reliable methods of preventing the spread of HIV and STDs, and all sexually active individuals should have the opportunity to access condoms for free or at very low cost,” said Lori Mizuno, Director of Public Health for AHF. “By supplying these groups – both governmental and non-governmental – with millions of free condoms, we increase the accessibility to safer sex tools for the multitude of individuals who utilize their services.”
According to the 2012 Annual Texas HIV Surveillance Report conducted by the Texas Department of State Health Services, 4,265 people in Texas were diagnosed with HIV in 2012, of which 781 were in Dallas. Men of all ethnicities aged 20 – 24 accounted for the highest number of new infections throughout the state with 699 new HIV cases reported from this demographic in 2012.
Meanwhile, North Carolina saw 1,409 new cases of HIV reported in 2012, and 798 new AIDS cases reported, according to the 2012 HIV/STD Surveillance Report by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. As of the end of 2012, 1,257 people living in Cumberland County were living with HIV, and 424 individuals living with HIV were located in Robeson County, the report said.
