AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has said it will be conducting free HIV testing and giving out free condoms to people in Kogi, Benue, Anambra, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.
The organisation also revealed that an estimated one million people worldwide acquire sexually transmitted infection (STI) every day.
Country Programme Director of AHF Nigeria, Dr Echey Ijezie, made the disclosure on Friday in Abuja at an event to mark the 2022 International Condom Day (ICD).
He expressed fear that there are still 1.5 million new HIV transmissions annually around the globe.
Ijezie said the AHF Nigeria has distributed over 20 million free condoms in Nigeria and will continue to support the national condom policy of the Federal Government by broadening access of Nigerians to condoms as the most affordable and effective means of preventing STIs, including HIV and unplanned pregnancies.
“In Nigeria, advocates shall be joining AHF Nigeria in Calabar and Ikom, Cross Rivers State for a walk to create awareness and distribute free condoms, as well as provide free HIV testing to the people.
“This walk is in collaboration with the Cross River State Ministry of Health, while there is also a media component that sees safe sex education on airwaves. 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 also test people for HIV.
“Also in Abuja, AHF Nigeria Girls Act members shall be reaching their peers with condom education and tips on safer sex practices. Across other AHF Nigeria states of Benue, Kogi, Anambra, Nasarawa and Akwa Ibom, our teams shall be conducting free HIV testing and giving out free condoms to the people.
“It’s time we drop the stigma around condoms and make it easier to communicate about having safer sex.”
AHF Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy, Terri Ford noted that the introduction of a condom emoji across all digital platforms would be a fun and creative way to do that.
Credit: The Nation
