Foundation urges Cross River youths to avoid risky behaviours

Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is distributing over 50,000 condoms in Cross River while also warning youths in the state to avoid risky behaviours.

Speaking during a sensitisation walk on Monday in Calabar, the Country Director of AHF, Dr Echey Ijezie, said the initiative was in commemoration of World Condom Day (ICD).

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The theme for the 2022 commemoration is “condom always in fashion.”

According to a statement Tuesday morning by AHF spokesman, Steve Aborisade, Ijezie said the reality of the society was that many youths were involved in risky sexual activities, adding that the foundation was trying to reduce this challenge by creating awareness on condom use.

“Valentine is in the air and every year we mark this day to create awareness among youths that risky sexual behaviours should be avoided as much as possible.

“Condoms are in fashion, in vogue, safe, effective, free and users should not be stigmatised.

“We have distributed over 20 million condoms in Nigeria for free from 2011 till date and today, we are distributing 50,000 in Cross River among the 18 Local Government Areas,” he said.

Ijezie added that apart from the walk and distribution of condoms on the streets of Calabar, they would also carry out free HIV testing and those who are positive would be given free anti-retroviral drugs.

In her remarks, Dr Betta Edu, Cross River State’s Commissioner for Health, said they were advocating for abstinence and people being faithful to their faithful partners.

Edu said if sex must be had, it should be safe sex because five minutes of sexual pleasure can give someone a lifetime of pain when he or she contracts the Human Immune Virus (HIV), hepatitis or any other infection.

She said the state was trying to achieve epidemic control for HIV and zero transmission from mother to child, adding that one of the best ways to achieve these was to use condoms.

On her part, Dr Janet Ekpenyong, Director General of Cross River Primary Healthcare Development Agency (CRSPHDA) thanked AHF for being a worthy partner with the state in the fight against HIV and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Virus (AIDS).

“We understand that some religious organisation were against the use of condoms because of their beliefs but we had to let them know that condoms also prevent pregnancies in family planning.”