Concern: In Argentina, less than two in ten people use a condom

It was in 2012 that the American organization AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) proposed on February 13 World Condom Day, in the effort of reduce the spread of HIV through safe sex practices. Since its inception in 2009, it has been an informal celebration celebrated in conjunction with Valentine’s Day.

According to the results of a survey conducted by AHF Argentina, only 14.5% of Argentines use a condom in all their sexual relations, 65% only do it sometimes and 20.5% never. As if that wasn’t enough, recently, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, 61.5% of people do not have access to free condoms, both because there was no availability at the place where they usually retire or because they could not approach the place due to traffic restrictions, they warn of organization.

“The 51.6% usually collected in hospitals or public health centers, places that have mainly focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, losing effort on other health issues, “he said Natalia Haag, Director of HIV Testing and Prevention, AHF Argentina.

Condoms are essential to protect human health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The non-profit organization established in its recommendations at the start of it, prioritizing actions to prevent HIV and other STIs, among which, continuing its condom distribution program, taking care of healthy distance measurements.

For its part, Joint program United Nations on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Global Coalition for HIV Prevention, a global appeal at the start of the pandemic to recognize that condoms and other contraceptives are essential commodities, maintain condom production, meet the needs of key communities and young people, and support condom delivery by supporting social distancing.

“Quarantine and restrictions due to COVID-19 have been a constant threat to access to condoms, especially in countries where stockouts and other barriers have already made it difficult for people to obtain condoms ”, manifested Terri Ford, Responsible for the promotion and overall policy of the AHF.

In the same line, Michael Weinstein, Founding President, said: “We have always placed access to condoms at the top of our priority list. International Condom Day provides us with a platform to call on governments and public health institutions to ensure that people have the tools they need to protect themselves and their loved ones which is especially important when we still see 1.7 million new HIV infections each year. It is simply not acceptable when we have the means to distribute condoms to people all over the world to protect them from preventable diseases. “

“If clinical care has been repackaged and adapted in many facilities in the region To help patients with COVID-19, we also need to readjust prevention policies for HIV and AIDS as well as all STIs, adopt communication strategies, promote their use, buy and distribute condoms, so that they reach those who need them ”, he concluded. Guillermina Alaniz, Advocacy Director for AHF Latin America and the Caribbean.

In Argentina, over 98% of sexually transmitted infections are due to lack of protection

According to the results of a survey conducted by AHF Argentina, only 14.5% of Argentines use a condom in all their sexual relations, the 65% he only does it sometimes and he 20.5% never. Also, in our country over 98% of infections are caused by unprotected sex and about 139,000 people are living with HIV, 17% of whom do not know their diagnosis.

There are 1.7 million new HIV infections each year and more than one million new cases of curable STIs each day, according to UNAIDS and the World Health Organization, respectively. An unacceptable fact when these conditions are 100% preventable: Governments and global health organizations must do more to ensure that people have easy access to free or cheap condoms.

According to the data of the last Epidemiological Bulletin of the Directorate of AIDS, STDs, Hepatitis and TBC of the Ministry of Health of the Nation, in recent years, worldwide and in particular in Latin America and the Caribbean, it was observed an increased incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STI), with a clear predominance of syphilis over the others.

“It is essential that the prevention of STIs in this population is based on advice on risky behavior, preventive measures (basically the correct use of condoms), HPV vaccination Yes Hepatitis B more laboratory screening “, say the researchers in the report.

“Based on responses from over 30,000 people who we promptly and confidentially tested for HIV, we determined that only 14.5% still use a condom, while 65% use it on some occasion and 20.5% admitted never using it, ”they said.

On the trend of low use of condoms, Haag He said: “We think there is relaxation around preventive measures due to the fact that HIV has become a chronic infection and no longer something fatal. The lack of publicity as public policy on the importance of the use and the lack of correct implementation of Comprehensive Sex Education Act they also make it hard for teens become aware of the use of condoms and start your protected sexual activity ”.

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