Jamaica will commemorate Safer Sex Week from Sunday, February 7-14 and this year’s focus is on encouraging women to buy, carry and use condoms highlighted by the theme “Smarter Women Always Buy, Carry and Use Condoms.” This initiative is part of an effort to increase HIV testing among women and to build awareness on condom use.

Dr. Kevin Harvey, Director of the National HIV/STI Programme in the Ministry of Health said “To buy, carry and use condoms does not mean that a woman is promiscuous; it rather means that a woman is wise enough to protect herself from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)”. Continuing, he said with Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, there is usually an increase in the level of sexual activity so it is important for women to negotiate condom use.

The National Event for Safer Sex Week will take place on Thursday, February 11, 2010 at Orange Park (near the Waterfront, Downtown, Kingston) from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. In collaboration with the Rotary Club of St. Andrew, the National HIV/STI Programme (NHP) will provide six thousand (6000) pieces of Durex condoms at that event. Ms. Byfield, who received a token of the six thousand (6,000) condoms at the Rotary Club of St. Andrew’s monthly meeting at the Jamaica Pegasus on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, expressed gratitude on behalf of the National HIV/STI Programme.

The NHP programme which started in 1986 is committed to coordinating and leading the implementation of National HIV/AIDS response, to achieve behaviour change as it relates to HIV/AIDS. Its implementation arm has expanded to involve the health sector’s four Regional Health Authorities and five sector ministries, the National AIDS Committee (NAC) and a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).