The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) the largest provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world operating in 44 countries, celebrates the International condom day on a yearly basis throughout February with the theme “Safer is sexy”, it came as an innovative initiative to remind people on February the 13th before Valentine’s day that wearing a condom can prevent pregnancy & HIV, since 1987 AHF has cared for thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS worldwide implementing new programs in communities across the U.S. and abroad with the aim of saving more lives. Condoms are the most easily accessible mean for enjoying sexual life without spreading the STDs(sexually transmitted diseases), first condom ever made was from animal skin but it wasn’t safe enough to use , then they introduced the rubber condom in 1855, with an average shelf life of 4 year.
In Curacao and since 2018 the number of HIV patients is still on the rise, unfortunately, we don’t have a specific number that reflects the harsh reality about this issue, little is known about sexual health and HIV testing behaviors among women and it seems it is still a taboo to talk about it or even report it, not to forget the stigmatizing attitudes and religious beliefs surrounding the use of condoms.
There should be more collaboration with the ministry of Health & different national agencies for a more aggressive campaign around the year to educate, promote and encourage people to come forward for testing or reporting. Young people are more likely than any other age group to have multiple sex partners and engage most of the times in unprotected sex therefore it is crucial for schools as well to create programs that tackle this subject in an educative perspective.
