On International Condom Day, GAT reiterates:

On Valentine's Wednesday, the Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos (GAT) and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), with the support of Lisbon City Council (Lisboa Sem Sida/Fast Track Cities Initiative) and the Misericórdia Parish Council, evoke condoms on the stage of the São Pedro de Alcântara Belvedere. Fulfilling the vision of combined prevention, free, anonymous and confidential screenings for HIV, HBV and HCV (hepatitis) and syphilis will also be offered between 10am and 6pm, as well as the dissemination and distribution of condoms.

Ricardo Fernandes, GAT's Executive Director, considers condoms to be one of the most effective methods for preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs): "Making them available and accessible to all sexually active people, but especially to those who are most at risk of these infections, is essential."

According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 million sexually transmitted infections are reported every day and more than 117 million new HIV infections have been prevented since 1990 with the use of condoms. Despite the guarantee that condoms offer to prevent HIV, Ricardo Fernandes warns that Portugal is at the top of the list of HIV infections in Western Europe and that the country does not have an AIDS prevention strategy.

To counteract the lack of mobilization of Portuguese society for the prevention of HIV and other STIs, he calls for more and better strategies, namely "a distribution plan and resources to support the organizations on the ground" so that it is possible to reach more people and prevent STIs. "We have to reach the people who really need condoms to protect themselves, as well as other prevention technologies that are available" argues Ricardo Fernandes.

During 2023, GAT referred more than 1,800 people for the drug that prevents HIV, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), despite the long waiting lists that are expected to be overcome with the already published Ordinance 402/2023, as well as with compliance with the recommendations for expanding access to PrEP launched by the organization.

At the same time, GAT's Love Condoms service distributed more than 1.2 million condoms and around 500,000 packs of lubricant gel free of charge, with the aim of reducing obstacles and intermediaries in accessing condoms.

"Distribution in schools is restricted and involves too much exposure. In the prison system, too, we still don't have consistent distribution of this prevention material. These are two examples of situations that not only have consequences for individuals, but also for society and public health, with human and economic costs" warns Ricardo Fernandes

"Bearing this in mind on International Condom Day, we reiterate that condoms are always in fashion and should therefore be accessible without barriers to all those who need them" insists Ricardo Fernandes, GAT's Executive Director.

To mark the date, GAT and AHF invite the community to a collective celebration of condoms at the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, with shows starting at 4pm. Kiko is Hot will be the DJ, followed by performances by drag queens Lucy Fromell, Fortuna Beige and Miss Velvet. Mary Poppers, a screening technician at the GAT Checkpoint LX center, aimed at men who have sex with men (MSM), will host the event and is part of the range of performances that can be seen at the initiative.