Condom Festival in Southern India to Fight Spread of AIDS Virus

A condom festival was launched in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh as part of an HIV/AIDS prevention program, news reports said Thursday. According to a National AIDS Control Organization study, condom usage in Andhra Pradesh is the lowest in the country, the Star News Channel reported. The study indicates that only one in every 200 couples in the state uses condoms. One of the reasons for the low condom use is said to be the high rate of sterilization in the state. "People may think that because they have undergone sterilization, there is no need for condoms," said Dr. Kadambari, head of Andhra Pradesh's HIV/AIDS program. Andhra Pradesh's Health Minister N. Janardhan Reddy added, "Because they are not following safe sex measures, AIDS is spreading. So we want to promote the use of condoms." Activists are going door-to-door and talking to couples about sex and condoms. Also, public demonstrations explaining how to use condoms are being held in more than 3,600 villages and towns across the state. The festival hopes to reach out to at least 10 million people in the state, where HIV is believed to be spreading faster than anywhere else in India.

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