Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.
IF you're still thinking what to buy for your gay friends or relatives this Christmas, consider buying them condoms. They are available even online, with good discounts at that.
Giving condoms to our loved ones whom we suspect of engaging in high-risk sexual behavior will help them protect themselves — and their partners — against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. In addition, it offers a great opportunity to educate, to remind others of the value of condoms. Because Filipino youth are not as informed about HIV and AIDS today as they used to be, the University of the Philippines Population Institute found in its 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study. Awareness about HIV and/or AIDS among persons ages 15-24 years old dropped to an "all-time low," from 95 percent in 1994 to 76 percent in 2021. Moreover, "Some 35 percent of young people ... did not believe that a person can reduce the risk of getting HIV infection by using a condom during sex, contrary to multiple evidence that consistent condom use is very effective against HIV transmission."
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