World AIDS Day
One Person One Condom Campaign

December 1 is the World AIDS Day. Every year, different activities are organized around the world to arouse more concern on AIDS.

Condom is an effective tool to protect oneself from STDs and HIV/AIDS, but the society sees it as the symbol of unfaithfulness, evilness and immorality. Every year, the government spends much money and many resources on HIV-prevention. Yet, the police often charge sex workers with condoms, turning condoms into a kind of weapon pointing to sex workers, as well as discouraging sex workers from using condoms. In general, not only the government wastes the resources, also increases sex workers’ vulnerability to STDs and AIDS.

During 2006, 12 sex workers were framed by the police with condoms. Some women from Mainland China were also arrested for carrying condoms. Though they do not break the law, they are wrongly jailed as the judge always believe in the police. Last year, we collected 24 cases from local and Mainland women, who were framed by the police.

Sex is still a taboo in our society. Many people thus say ‘no’ to condoms, with some of them are afraid of condoms. No one dares to buy and carry condoms in an open way. If a woman is carrying a condom, people see her as a whore. If a man is carrying a condom, people see him as an irresponsible person, who will have sex with different person.

Condom is just a tool to protect you and your partners. We should not let the police misuse it to frame sex workers. We should further stop seeing it as something evil or unethical. Try now to see condoms as something very ordinary, which is commonly found in daily life. We had the ‘One Person One Condom’ Campaign, in which we started distributing free condom cards to the public on November 30. There are other local groups supporting this campaign, including the Hong Kong Sex Culture Society, Hong Kong Women’s Coalition, Hong Kong Women Workers’ Association, Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, Hong Kong Association for the Survivors or Women Abuse (Kwan Fook), and the Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women. We sincerely hope that everyone including men and women, the elderly and the young ones, can change their attitudes towards condoms, stop seeing condoms or people carrying condoms as evil spirits.

We have the following appeals:

1. The police should stop using condoms for crime conviction.
2. Eliminate the discrimination against sex workers, particularly the abuse of police power against sex workers.
3. Promote safe sex and sex education, enhance the public’s consciousness in safe sex.
4. Join our ‘One Person One Condom’ Campaign, don’t be afraid of carrying condoms.

Zi Teng (Sex Workers Concern Organization)
Email: ziteng@hkstar.com
Website: www.ziteng.org.hk Correspondence address: Hong Kong Post Office Headquarters PO Box 7450