September 11, 2007

Condoms in Public Bathrooms

A Ugandan mayor has called on politicians and community counselors to put condoms in public restrooms in order to stop the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Wilson Tumwine, mayor of the Mbarara, a town in southwestern Uganda, said that some people, especially young people, are afraid to pick up condoms in hospitals and other public places where they are offered for free. Often, condoms offered in these settings will expire before they are picked up.

However, when condoms are distributed in public places that offer a less conspicuous collection, they disappear like magic. "Put a box of condoms in a public toilet. In only a few hours, the box will be empty,” Tumwine said to a group of politicians and counselors last week.