Established in 2009 by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), ICD serves as a reminder that despite medical advancements in HIV prevention, condoms remain the only widely available, cost-effective method that provides dual protection against both STIs (including HIV) and unintended pregnancies.
As rates of STIs soar in Belgium – and across Europe and globally – now is the time to renew our commitment to condom use, ensuring accessibility and safer sex education for all.
Recent data indicates a significant surge in STIs across Europe. In 2022, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported a 48% increase in gonorrhea cases, a 34% rise in syphilis cases, and a 16% uptick in chlamydia cases compared to the previous year. These alarming trends underscore the urgent need for enhanced public health interventions, including condom promotion and increased prevention, testing, and treatment efforts, to curb the spread of STIs in the region.
This trend mirrors a broader global surge in STIs, with more than 1 million preventable infections occurring daily, according to the World Health Organization. Despite this, condom use has declined in recent years, in part due to stigma and an increased reliance on biomedical interventions like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). While these medications are invaluable in preventing HIV, they offer no protection against other STIs—a vital and often overlooked fact.
PrEP has revolutionized HIV prevention, yet its increasing use without concurrent condom promotion is fueling rising STI rates worldwide. Studies show that PrEP users often reduce or completely abandon condom use, assuming they are fully protected. However, PrEP only prevents HIV—it does nothing to stop syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, or other infections that have surged globally. The introduction of injectable PrEP has further exacerbated this issue, as fewer individuals feel the need to practice traditional barrier protection. Without integrating condom promotion alongside PrEP initiatives, the world risks a continued and unchecked explosion of preventable STIs.
AHF's "Just Use It!" social marketing campaign, featuring a condom-clad banana, ran at the famous Markthal in Rotterdam to celebrate International Condom Day in 2024.
The world still sees 1.3 million new HIV transmissions annually, further evidence that relying solely on PrEP and PEP while ignoring condom accessibility is a dangerously shortsighted approach. We cannot defeat HIV/AIDS unless we stop new HIV cases—and until we prioritize condoms, we will continue to see preventable infections rise. Governments must invest in ensuring free or affordable condoms are available to all, alongside comprehensive sex education programs, to empower people everywhere to make informed decisions about their sexual health.
The numbers speak for themselves. Since 1990, condoms have prevented an estimated 117 million new HIV infections. In 2024 alone, AHF distributed more than 56.5 million free condoms, ensuring people around the world have access to this vital protection. However, the declining use of condoms places more people at risk of contracting lifelong or life-threatening infections—a risk that is entirely avoidable with proper education and access.
Despite their proven effectiveness, condoms remain underutilized in part due to stigma, embarrassment, and misconceptions. A WHO report found a significant decline in condom use among sexually active adolescents in Europe, with usage dropping from 70% to 61% among boys and from 63% to 57% among girls in recent years. Social discomfort, perceived awkwardness, and misplaced trust in partners deter people from using condoms, even when they are readily available. Without targeted education and normalization efforts through public health messaging, these barriers will continue to put millions at risk of preventable STIs.
While condoms are highly effective, many people struggle to access them due to cost barriers. Across Europe and other parts of the world, condoms are often taxed and classified as medical devices, making them more difficult to import and more expensive than they should be. These unnecessary financial barriers discourage use, particularly among young people and marginalized communities who may already face challenges in accessing sexual health resources. We urge policymakers to eliminate taxes on condoms and remove restrictive classifications that make them harder to obtain.
Condoms are not just a personal choice – they are a public health necessity. This International Condom Day, we call on individuals to prioritize safer sex by starting or continuing to use condoms and demanding policies that make them more accessible and affordable.
Let’s reignite the global commitment to condoms—a simple, effective, and lifesaving tool that should never be overlooked.
Visit LOVEcondoms.org for more information on how condoms can protect you and your loved ones.
By Daniel Reijer, AHF Europe Bureau Chief
