Communicable disease manager John Dax Moreno said their order for 30,000 condoms arrived in January.
“In the past three years, we have 30,000 condoms that we distributed. It took about the whole three years [from 2008 to 2010] to consume. But we have another order for 30,000. We’ve already consumed about half [for 2011],” he said.
Aling Ogumoro-Uludong, community health worker, said they started placing their orders and began communicating with U.S. vendors in 2010.
Moreno said their number does not include those being distributed by the family planning program.
He believes that the fast rate of distribution this year could be due to the increase in the distribution sites compared to previous years.
He, however, pointed out that the HIV/STD Resource and Treatment Center is not promoting sex.
The primary reason for the distribution of condoms is for protection against sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV.
“There is a persistent notion that we are giving out condoms because we are encouraging sex. In actuality, people are going to have sex when they want to have sex.”
He said they are only reminding the people to protect themselves from diseases that are sexually transmitted.
Moreno said there have been 29 HIV cases in the CNMI since 1997. To date, there are nine with HIV known to the HIV program: six adult males and three adult females. Of these cases, two were diagnosed elsewhere in the United States.
By distributing condoms, Moreno said they are also informing the public that they can prevent unwanted teen pregnancies and hold off on parenthood until they are physically and emotionally ready to become parents.
Carrying a condom, Moreno stressed, does not equate to promoting promiscuity or sex.
He cited surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009 among public school students whose results were notable.
“In middle school, 15 percent of the middle school students were already sexually active. By the time they reach high school, 50 percent were sexually active.”
He said teens as young as 14 get chlamydia, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases that can make men and women unable to have children.
“Most of the time, people don’t feel that they are sick. A young person can get sick for years without knowing about it,” Moreno said.
Based on CNMI statistics from 2000-2010, there was a decline in gonorrhea cases over the last decade.
From 31 cases in 2004, the number fell to just 2 in 2010.
In 2000, there were 90 people infected with syphilis and this number went down to seven in 2010.
There were 268 persons with chlamydia in 2000 and this decreased to 123 in 2010.
Of the 1,073 tests conducted for chlamydia in fiscal year 2010, 105 females and 18 males tested positive.
Of the 890 tests for gonorrhea, 1 male and 1 female tested positive.
Aside from preventing STD’s, the campaign to distribute condoms also attempts to curb unwanted pregnancies.
Moreno said, “In our society we take care of our teen mothers and their children very well and there is not a whole lot of stigma. But what about the difficulties of being a young parent and being able to hold off on parenthood until they are more prepared emotionally and physically?”
In Europe, he added, condom ads are prominently displayed on billboards and TV commercials, and these provide the youth the information that will help them make informed decisions.
For those who would like to be tested for HIV or those who are interested to know more details about STD’s and HIV, contact the HIV/STD Resource and Treatment Center at 664-4050/3/5/7.
