Put on your latex party caps and get ready to share some LOVE with that special someone in your life because International Condom Day (ICD) 2023 has arrived! ICD is a tradition at AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF). February 13 is International Condom Day (ICD), an AIDS Health Foundation (AHF) tradition. Every year, on this day, exciting, eye-catching events are held under the slogan “Always in Fashion.”
As cases of sexually transmitted infections continue to surpass 1 million each day, promoting condom use has become more vital than ever. Despite the unachieved goals for HIV prevention in 2021, joint efforts can ensure access to condoms for every person in the world, as it is the most affordable and effective way to prevent HIV and other STIs, as well as unplanned pregnancy.
International Condom Day (ICD) is an annual event organized by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), featuring public and online events worldwide under the slogan “Always in Fashion.” The event aims to highlight the importance of condoms in protecting people’s health, promoting sex education, and providing access to condoms. AHF, which operates in 45 countries, has been celebrating International Condom Day since 2008.
AHF Georgia is part of the campaign to raise public awareness on safe sex and the crucial role of condoms in preventing sexually transmitted diseases. This year’s celebration is marked as “Always in Fashion.”
As part of the campaign, AHF Georgia has organized a lecture seminar on “Safe sex and sexually transmitted diseases” in collaboration with several organizations. Free and anonymous HIV testing was also available at the event. Additionally, a special point was set up at Tbilisi Mall where volunteers distributed informational materials and condoms, as well as conducted free and anonymous HIV testing. Tbilisi Mall was a supporter of the “Always in Fashion” campaign.
“Ensuring increased access to condoms, especially among young people, is our top priority. International Condom Day serves as a vital platform to call on governments and public health institutions to promote and facilitate access to condoms in the country so that individuals can have the means to protect themselves and their loved ones, which is especially crucial when there are 1.7 million new cases of HIV infection reported globally each year. The planned activities for this day aim to raise awareness and encourage safe sex practices. As part of the campaign, free and anonymous rapid HIV testing will be offered, and condoms will be distributed. Our goal is to ensure that every individual has access to the necessary resources to stay safe and healthy,” explains Nino Khetaguri, Georgia Program Manager of the AIDS Health Fund (AHF).
Condom use has significantly impacted the global HIV/AIDS response, averting an estimated 117 million new HIV infections since 1990, with close to half in sub-Saharan Africa and more than one-third in Asia and the Pacific. However, millions of people globally are still without access to condoms due to many reasons across various parts of the world.
“People want the ability to prevent HIV, other STIs, and unplanned pregnancies – but that becomes much more challenging if widespread condom stockouts, shortages, harmful taxation, and unaffordable prices continue,” said Terri Ford, AHF Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy. “AHF has put condoms and STI prevention at the top of our global priorities to intensify our efforts to get condoms to people throughout our 45 country teams despite the many existing barriers. We encourage everyone to find an “Always in Fashion” ICD event near them and help us promote safer sex!”
View more information on AHF’s International Condom Day at LoveCondoms.org.
About AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.6 million people in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare.
