More than 90% of guesthouses in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh are displaying condoms for their customers, according to Population Services International (PSI).
More than 90% of guesthouses in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh are displaying condoms for their customers, according to Population Services International (PSI).
In a recent report, PSI found the guesthouse intervention is playing a crucially role in the 100% Condom Use Program (100% CUP), which aims to reduce the new HIV infection in the country.
Monte Achenbach, Technical Advisor at PSI, said his organization continues to support the 100% CUP to achieve zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths by 2020, as set out by the UN’s ‘three-zero’ strategy.
He added that the availability of condoms with suitable prices for customers is another key catalyst in reducing the new cases of HIV infection, adding: “We want people to put condoms with them every time they go for sex because it makes them feel comfortable,
From 1994, PSI has supplied approximately 300 million condoms to Cambodia. However, the number of condoms sold has been decreasing during the last four years, with 27 million condoms sold in 2008 to 17 millions sold in 2011.
Condom displays in the entertainment establishments – beer gardens, massage places and Karaoke – has also decreased between 2008 to 2011.
Achenbache said some owners of entertainment establishments remain reluctant to display condoms at their places as they fear the police would use the condoms as evidence leading to the arrest. He called for the local authority to further cooperate with PSI teams when they provide HIV education in entertainment establishments.
But Gen Ten Borany, Deputy Director of Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department of Ministry of Interior, said that under the Cambodian Anti-Human Trafficking Law there is no article mentioning that condoms could be use as an evidence for arresting.
These comments are in line with those made in early 2011 by the Ministry of Interior that the 100% CUP does not conflict with the 2008 law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation. The declaration states that police will not use condoms as an evidence for arrest except in rape-related cases.
In related news, at a recent 100% CUP workshop (22 May, 2012) Excellency Professor Ly Po, Permanent Deputy Chairperson of the National AIDS Authority (NAA), said that the effective implementation of the 100% CUP and the Prakas 66 are the main contribution of the HIV infection reduction.
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