Condoms to be sold at universities for first time
The Vietnam Family Planning Association will launch a campaign to
distribute 60 million subsidized condoms over the next three years
to universities, aiming to halt escalating HIV infection rates
caused by unsafe sex among the sexually-active younger population.
The campaign, starting in October, will initially aim for Hanoi's
three biggest campuses, Chairman of the Family Planning Association
Pham Song said. Each condom will cost VND150 (one US cent).
Sociologists say that in addition to ignorance, embarrassment about
buying contraceptives in Vietnam's deeply traditional society where
sex is still a taboo topic remains a significant factor in the low
rates of condom use.
"Heavily affected by both traditional culture and social prejudice,
Vietnamese men still find it deeply uncomfortable to ask for
condoms. But it's time to change the situation," Song said.
According to the National Committee on AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution
more than 51,500 people are HIV-positive but the true figure is
thought to be greater than 200,000. Around 58.7% are aged between 13
and 29.
International experts estimate that Vietnam needs at least 150
million condoms a year to protect its citizens from HIV and unwanted
pregnancies. But last year the country used only 80 million, of
which 43 million were distributed by DKT International, a
non-governmental organization that mainly supplies condoms in
Vietnam. The organization's target for 2003 is 76 million.
A study in five provinces by Care International estimates that
around 30-70% of single men and women have sexual relations before
marriage, while the younger generation have limited access to
reproductive health education and do not know how to protect
themselves from the epidemic.
The Financial Times Information - September 30, 2002.
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