May 28, 2010

Cubans Prevent HIV and Get Creative With Condoms

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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angel tur, Lexington, KY, 2010-06-02 14:50:15
The main factor that contributed to Cuba's low rate of HIV incidence is the fact that from early 80's to mid 90's if you were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, you were sent to a "camp" where infected people had to remain weather they wanted or not. Human rights groups protested these practice so much that they finally had to change this practice around 15 years ago. The movie Philadelphia is still censured in Cuba. Get the fact right.