With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, health practitioners are reminding adults to always practice safe sex.

In a Facebook post, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime-Philippines admitted that condom use is still unpopular, with only 38 percent of men who have sex with men (MSM) using condoms when having sex (IHBSS, 2018). A recent UNODC-Ph study disclosed that MSM who had experience using drugs where twice more likely to have condomless sex.

“While it may be awesome to make love without a condom, we are increasing the possibility of getting infected by HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections,” the FB post said.

As a Valentine’s Day reminder, the UNODC-ph encouraged the public to lower the risk of HIV and STDs by using condoms. “We can still enjoy making love while USING CONDOMS. They are free. Contact your nearest sexual health facilities.”

A total of 70,740 individuals have been diagnosed with HIV in the Philippines since 1984. Ninety-four percent are males. Sexual contact is the most common mode of HIV transmission.