Condoms or candy for Valentine’s Day?

A condom company and a pro-life group are at odds over whether the youth should be given condoms to raise awareness about safer sex—or candy to encourage chastity.

In a report on 24 Oras, Paul Guimay of pro-life group Filipinos for Life argued that distributing condoms to senior high school students, a now-scrapped plan of the Department of Health (DOH), was a "short-cut" solution to a bigger problem.

"Chastity is still the best solution to form our young people. Parang ang mentality na iniiwan ng pamimigay ng condom ay dun lang ang solusyon. It's a shortcut decision," Guimay said on Tuesday.

But Mark Joseph Cepada, a sales agent for a condom company distributing free condoms for Valentine's Day, said condoms should not be stigmatized to promote safe sex among Filipinos.

"Ang utak kasi ng tao medyo minsan, when it comes to condoms, stigmatized po tayo. Safe sex po at wala pong masama sa paggamit ng condom," Cepada said.

The DOH planned to distribute condoms to senior high school students as part of its campaign to curb HIV transmission in the country.

The plan was axed when the Department of Education (DepEd) favored the development of sexuality education instead.

DepEd's decision was accepted by the DOH, but Health Secretary Eric Tayag said most youths were not aware that they have resources for sexual health.

"Factual, marami sa mga edad na ito ang hindi pa alam na may HIV na sila. 'Di sila nagpapatest at wala silang serbisyong natatanggap. 'Yun ang malungkot," he said.

Youths aged below 18 need their parents' permission before they can get tested for HIV or acquire condoms for free at health facilities.

National Youth Commission Chair Aiza Seguerra, who argued with Senator Vicente Sotto III over the DOH's condom initiative, said health facilities should lower the age limit to 15 to encourage youths to get tested.

"Alam po natin sa batas ngayon, if you're under 18, you can't get tested, na wala pong parental consent. And we all know how hard it is," Seguerra said.

According to a report from the HIV/AIDS and ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP), the majority of the reported cases of HIV from January to October in 2016 were among people aged 15 to 24 and 25 to 34.

The DOH stated in the past that it advocates the late Senator Juan Flavier's ABCs of sexual health: "abstain" from sex; if they cannot delay their sexual debut, they should "be faithful" to their partners and vice versa; and to use "condoms" if they must have intercourse. — Rie Takumi/BM, GMA News