Davao City Councilor Mary Joselle Dilig-Villafuerte expressed her support for the local distribution of condoms to the public to ensure public health and safety especially to young people.
“It is also good to install machines that cough out condoms in public comfort rooms at the drop of a coin,” she said. “We do not know it but it is possible that sexual activities are done in comfort rooms.”
At the Pulong Pulong ni Pulong press conference, Dr. Villafuerte said the condoms are meant to protect young people from unprotected sex and from being affected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome disease.
She said the alarming increase of HIV-AIDs among teenagers is traced to high-risk sexual behaviors that do not use condoms.
Villafuerte said that in Davao City, most of the affected teenagers ranged from 13 years old to 17 years of age. The youngest affected was a nine-year old girl.
She said Region XI is ranked No. 7 for newly diagnosed HIV cases in the Philippines, with the total number of HIV cases ranging from 230-280 for this year.
“We don’t want to think that our children are having sex, but it’s really happening, so we have to talk about it and work together to reduce the number of HIV-positive patients,” Villafuerte said.
Villafuerte said that in other countries free condoms are made available.
“Here in the Philippines HIV cases is increasing while in other countries they are decreasing because they really make condoms available anywhere when its needed and where sexual activities are, especially in the tourist spots and in rest rooms “ said Villafuerte .
“In other counties they have that and the number of HIV cases is decreasing. It’s still not implemented here in Davao City but why don’t we adopt that kind of behavior?” Villafuerte said.
“Social media is very modern and gives teenagers access to pre-marital sex. We don’t want to think that our children are having sex, but it’s really happening, so we have to talk about it and work together to reduce the number of HIV-positive patients,” Villafuerte said.
Villafuerte said that giving minors a condom is a dilemma, but that’s why they must be educated with its use, in focusing on prevention.
“If we do not guide our young people about what HIV is and how it is spread, then the problem would not stop,” Villafuerte said.
