'No condom, no sex’ policy urged to prevent STIs’ spread

URDANETA CITY — No condom, no sex.

Due to the growing cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the country, a World Health Organization (WHO) representative is doing the rounds of four cities in the Ilocos region this week, in coordination with local officials, to educate people having sex with commercial sex workers to use condom to avoid such diseases.

WHO expert Dr. Jan Marc Olive told reporters here after a dialogue with Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. that there has been an increase in STI cases among "professional sex workers."

Officials of the city health office and the police and club owners were present during the dialogue.

Olive is also visiting the cities of Dagupan, San Fernando (La Union) and Laoag (Ilocos Norte), whose mayors, he said, "are very motivated in solving this problem."

He expressed fears that STIs, which he said are simple to prevent among sex workers, could lead to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

He said commercial sex workers should be "properly surveyed and... should not indulge in sexual activity without (their partners) wearing a condom."

Olive cited WHO’s success in reducing the incidence of STIs and HIV/AIDS in Thailand and Cambodia by promoting the "no condom, no sex" initiative.

"It costs a lot of money to be treated for chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis, and when one contracts HIV/AIDS it’s much more difficult to cure it. You die," he said.

Asked whether STI cases in the Philippines have become alarming, Olive said no, adding though that they have been steadily increasing in the last five to 10 years.

"That’s dramatic. Also, very few professional sex workers use condom in this country," he said.

He said STIs constitute a serious and sensitive problem on the local level, thus the WHO is closely coordinating with mayors to educate them on what to do to prevent the spread of these diseases.

The WHO, he said, offers technical support, training and educational materials.

For his part, Perez said the city council passed last June 9 an ordinance creating the Urdaneta City Multisectoral STD/HIV/AIDS Council for the prevention and control of STIs and HIV-AIDS. The move was in response to the WHO’s call last year.

Perez said city officials constantly hold dialogues with entertainers and the owners of at least 20 nightclubs here. He said these nightspots were made to comply with certain requirements before they were allowed to operate.