Contraceptive prices lower on Valentine’s, HIV cases still prevalent

A popular contraceptive brand holds a Buy One Take One promo for condoms along Dangwa on February 14, Valentine’s day. However, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases remain to rise in the Philippines according to the Department of Health (DOH).

“Dapat natin ito i-promote [ang paggamit ng condoms] dahil sa mataas na statistics ng reproduction dito sa Pilipinas,” 20-year-old student Isaac Joseph said as he availed the promo while buying flowers for his girlfriend along Dangwa.

Condoms remain an effective way to prevent unwanted pregnancies, however it also plays an important role in avoiding the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.

While the Philippine Statistics Authority has stated that the rate of teenage pregnancy has declined from 8.6 percent in 2017 to 5.4 percent in 2022, the rising number of HIV cases indicated that there is still a lack of proper use of contraceptives among Filipinos.

The DOH says that 14,970 new cases of HIV have been recorded from January to December 2022. The number of cases was only 12,339 during 2021.

Brand ambassador Alvin Bernardino, 29, said that the Buy One Take One promo is a part of the brand’s marketing strategy in order to sell more products faster. He stated that the promo is indeed a hit, as not only bypassers are the ones to avail, but those in cars as well.

Upon manning the store for consecutive years now, Bernardino noticed mostly men in their 20s go to the brand’s yearly stall to purchase condoms for a cheaper price.

Only a few women purchased the promo, “Mga pinabili lang siguro,” Bernardino said.

Given the sales, it can be said that young Filipinos are seemingly aware of the importance of safe sex. However, according to Bernardino, there are still a number of people who remain shy and reluctant when purchasing their products, indicating the stigma surrounding the use of contraceptives such as condoms.

Promos such as these, however, somehow help normalize purchasing, as Bernardino also mentioned that the promo also included activities such as a few arcade games with condoms as prizes.

J. D. Y. and S. F. A.