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Group marks Valentine’s Day with safe sex awareness

By Barakat Akolade
11 February 2022   |   3:36 am
Ahead of the International Condoms Day (ICD) on February 13, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has planned safe sex message across the country as part of the campaign to mark the day.

Ahead of the International Condoms Day (ICD) on February 13, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has planned safe sex message across the country as part of the campaign to mark the day.

Being the eve of Valentine’s Day, ICD explained that the message has been planned as an innovative and lighthearted way to help people increase their awareness on the use of condom and its role in preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and AIDS.

The AHF disclosed that an estimated one million people worldwide acquire a sexually transmitted infection (STI) daily, while 1.5 million contract new HIV transmissions yearly around the globe.

Country Programme Director of AHF in Nigeria, Dr. Echey Ijezie, said: “It’s time we dropped the stigma around condoms and make it easier to communicate on safer sex.

“Introducing condom stickers in digital platforms would be fun and creative way to do so. We must speak the language that reaches young people, who are most at risk.”

Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy at AHF, Terri Ford, urged governments and public health institutions to prioritise access to free or affordable condoms “since they are the most affordable way to prevent HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancies.”

Continuing, Ijezie said: “This is why in Nigeria, advocates in Calabar and Ikom, Cross River State, usually stage a walk to create awareness and distribute free condoms, as well as give people free HIV tests in collaboration with the state Ministry of Health.

“In Abuja, AHF Nigeria is partnering with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) for a night event on Valentine’s Day to distribute free condoms and test people for HIV.

“Also in Abuja, AHF Nigeria Girls Act members will be reaching their peers with condom education and tips on safer sex practices.

“In other AHF Nigeria states of Benue, Kogi, Anambra, Nasarawa and Akwa Ibom, our teams will be conducting free HIV tests and give free condoms to people.

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