Everything is rationed in Cuba except condoms, which has contributed to the island having the lowest HIV rate in the Western hemisphere, the Global Post reports.

According to the article, the Cuban government has kept HIV rates low through safer-sex programs, public service announcements and heavily subsidized condom availability.

There have been many unintended consequences of making condoms affordable for average Cubans. To compensate for items they lack, Cubans blow them up as balloons, convert them into wineskins and even use them for fishing.

Click here to read "Keeping AIDS at Bay in Cuba" from the September 2009 issue of POZ.

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