…encourages use of condoms
The largest global infection-sensitisation organisation, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, on Thursday, said the number of Sexually Transmitted Diseases among Nigerian youths between the age of 15-24 years is fast increasing.
The foundation made this claim while commemorating 2023 International Condom Day tagged, “Be Always in Fashion with AHF Nigeria” where it encouraged the youths to always protect themselves during sexual intercourse against all forms of STDs.
In a statement made available to The PUNCH, the Director General, National Agency for Control of AIDS, Gambo Aliyu, said, “It has become important to ensure condom option is made available as a preventive measure to youths and people of reproductive age who may not abstain from sex given the rate of new HIV infections and STDs among young people aged 15-24 years, which calls for strengthened age and context-specific programming in this population.
“Condom advocacy is more vital than ever, with more than 1 million sexually transmitted infections acquired daily across the globe and the world falling woefully short on HIV prevention goals in 2021.
“But we can turn the tide by working to ensure people worldwide can access condoms wherever they live – as condoms remain the most affordable way to prevent HIV, other STIs, and unplanned pregnancies,” he added.
Speaking at the event, the AHF Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy, Terri Ford, said, “People want the ability to prevent HIV, other STIs, and unplanned pregnancies – but that becomes much more challenging if widespread condom stockouts, shortages, harmful taxation, and unaffordable prices continue?”
“AHF has put condoms and STI prevention at the top of our global priorities to intensify our efforts to get condoms to people throughout our 45 country teams despite the many existing barriers. We encourage everyone to help us promote safer sex!”
“AHF has planned lively in-person and virtual commemorative “Always in Fashion” ICD events throughout our 45 country teams to highlight the importance of condoms and help people take control of their health through access to safer sex education and free or affordable condoms,” he added.
Also speaking, the AHF Nigeria Country Program Director, Dr Echey Ijezie, stressed that the knowledge about HIV and STI prevention among adolescents is generally low.
“We, as an organisation, have deemed it fit to educate young people about the importance of practising safe sex and by ensuring we make the commodity easily accessible to them.
She further said that the organisation is partnering with NACA and the United Nations Population Fund Nigeria to host Twitter space on February 12 where a panel session would be held on creative completion on safe sex among the population examined.
