ILOILO CITY -- The Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas is eyeing to put up condom stations in establishments catering to travelers and tourists to reduce cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infection (STI).
“In the future, our target is to lessen the increase in new cases of HIV are establishments like hotels, motels, lodging houses and pension houses,” said DOH HIV/AIDS coordinator Adrian Hort Ramos in a phone interview on Thursday.
Currently, four universities in Iloilo have established condom stations.
The PHINMA (Philippine Investment Management)-University of Iloilo opened its own station on Wednesday.
In 2018, the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) Miag-ao and Iloilo City campuses and the West Visayas State University (WVSU) launched their own stations in December.
As per feedback from the UPV Iloilo City Campus, the 10 boxes with around 72 pieces of condoms each are all “sold out”.
“There was a quick survey that was conducted and 79 percent of 100 respondents favored the initiative,” he said.
Ramos said the establishment of condom stations does not intend to promote promiscuity. Instead, they would like to reach out to the 15 to 24 years old age group that happens to be the second with high cases of HIV.
“It aims to raise their awareness on HIV and protection and lessen cases and to lessen the stigma associated with the use of condom,” he added.
Condom stations are also available at the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP) and at the DOH offices.
“The condom station is a safe place where they can get the commodity upon assessing themselves that they need it,” he said, adding that it is only made available to 18 years old and above.
Western Visayas, as of November 2018, has 2,946 cumulative HIV cases since 1986.
Ramos said there are 794 missing HIV cases in Western Visayas based on the best estimate and computation of the epidemiological bureau of DOH. (PNA)
