Colombian Town Council Rejects Proposal That Would Have Required Boys and Men Over Age 14 To Carry Condoms
The Tulua, Colombia, Town Council voted 10-6 to reject a proposal that would have required that men and boys over age 14 carry condoms, the Associated Press reports (Associated Press, 2/28). Anyone not complying with the requirement would have been required to pay a $180 fine or attend a three-hour HIV/AIDS-prevention course (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/13). As an alternative, the council voted to approve a measure that will increase sex education and install machines throughout the town to dispense condoms. "The majority of the council members said the obligatory carrying of condoms wasn't the best move because it encouraged promiscuity," William Pena, the town council member who submitted the proposal, said. The proposal needed all 16 votes from the council and the mayor's signature in order to become a law, according to the Associated Press. Pena on Tuesday said he currently is seeking signatures to qualify the proposal for a referendum (Associated Press, 2/28). Tulua, which has a population of 190,000, registered 14 deaths last year related to sexually transmitted infections (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/13).
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