AHF Poland Celebrates Condoms on International Condom Day

LUBLIN, Poland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Poland invites everyone to join the celebration of International Condom Day (ICD), a holiday where we celebrate condoms and discover joyful, creative ways to promote their use. Condoms are the simplest yet highly effective method of ensuring safety during sexual encounters.

Despite more than 1 million STIs being acquired daily worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, condom use is declining in many parts of the world. Ending HIV/AIDS must include prioritizing the prevention of new HIV cases – a goal that cannot be achieved without promoting condoms as an essential tool.

To celebrate ICD this year, AHF Poland has partnered with the SEXEDPL Foundation, enabling a comic by illustrator Herzyk addressing condom use to be displayed on screens at 16 university campuses in nine cities across Poland from February 13 to March 10. Additionally, on February 13, educational materials related to ICD will be published on SEXEDPL and AHF Poland's communication channels.

On the occasion of International Condom Day, AHF Poland invites you to a special event at the Narraganset Club in Łódź on February 15 at the Valentine's Go Go Boys event, during which we will distribute free condoms, offer rapid HIV tests, and most importantly, remind everyone that condoms are an integral part of having fun.

WHAT:	AHF Poland Celebrates International Condom Day
WHEN:	February 15, 2025, at 10:00 p.m.
WHAT:	Condom distribution, HIV testing, prize competitions
WHERE:	Narraganset, Gdańska 129, 90-519 Łódź

NEWS DESK NOTE & VISUALS: Informational materials and promotional items will be available on-site.

"The HIV and other sexually transmitted infections epidemics in Poland not only continue but are growing every year. Studies show that young people are more likely than older age groups to believe that condoms are necessary for enjoying sex, but they are more hesitant to buy and use them. Meanwhile, older age groups still express many reasons not to use condoms. This neglect can cost us a lot as a society," says Anna Szadkowska-Ciężka, AHF Poland Country Program Manager.

"In Europe, condoms are vital for combating HIV and rising STI rates, yet taxation and classifying condoms as medical devices often inflate costs," said Daniel Reijer, AHF Europe Bureau Chief. "This International Condom Day, we urge policymakers to remove financial barriers and promote education to normalize and prioritize condom use because condoms remain the most cost-effective method of protecting against HIV and other STIs."

Observed annually on February 13, International Condom Day brings awareness about the importance of condoms and other vital sexual health issues. On ICD and beyond, we remind everyone that condoms are safer, sexy, and your best protection against HIV, other STIs, and unplanned pregnancies.

AHF created ICD in 2009. Visit LOVEcondoms.org to learn more.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is a global non-profit organization providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 2 million people in 48 countries worldwide in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Europe. We are currently the largest non-profit provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the world. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare.

AHF Poland on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AHFPoland AHF Poland on Instagram: @ahfpoland