…As foundation distributes over 200,000 in six months

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) says it distributed more than 200,000 condoms in Cross River State in the past six months, mostly in Calabar, saying the demand is very high.

AHF’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Coordinator, Aruk Ene, disclosed this on Saturday during a Walkathon organised by the Healthy Billionaires Club in Calabar to promote healthy living.

Ene said demand for condoms remained high, contrary to the belief that their use was declining.

She said the foundation distributed more than 50,000 condoms within a few hours on February 13, a day before Valentine’s Day.

“We distributed over 50,000 within hours and conducted tests for several persons,” she said.

Ene said AHF also planned to distribute 10,000 condoms during Saturday’s event, adding that people continue to request the products whenever they were made available.

“I won’t agree that the use of condoms has reduced. People have their reasons, and this is why we embark on constant education on their use,” she said.

She also advised people to use appropriate condom sizes, noting that discomfort from using the wrong size could discourage some people from using them.

On HIV testing, Ene encouraged residents to regularly check their status, saying those who test positive could be linked to treatment and laboratory monitoring with their consent.

“If you are positive, with your permission, we proceed with treatment and laboratory monitoring. If you are negative, we also advise and provide the necessary preventive drugs,” she said.

She said AHF could not immediately provide the number of people tested during the Walkathon.

Ene also noted that Cross River’s location, which attracts people from neighbouring states and Cameroon, results in the movement of people with different health conditions into the state.

However, she said the foundation could not determine which sexually transmitted infection among HIV, hepatitis and syphilis was most prevalent in the state.
She added that HIV prevention had evolved, with oral and injectable preventive drugs now available.