Coimbatore going to get condom vending m/c
The Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) will install condom-vending machines through the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation in various parts of the city by the second week of July.This is an attempt to promote the use of condoms and thereby reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS, said A.Ezhilpari, non-Governmental office Advisor of TANSACS.The concept was experimented five years ago in the State; but it did not take off well owing to certain technical defects of the machine. This time, a new version of the machine manufactured by Hindusthan Latex Limited would be installed, he added. This model has already been tried in Kerala.
This model would be implemented in five Corporations in the State. The main target would be the high risk group which included commercial sex workers, Mr.Ezhilpari added. The machines installed in the city would be monitored by the members of the Coimbatore Network of Positive People (CNP +).They would also take stock of the functioning of the machines.The members would be given training on how to operate the machine by the staff of Hindusthan Latex Limited.The machine would dispense a condom after a five-rupee coin was inserted.Awareness regarding the use of condoms was dismal among the public and many shied away from getting it from medical shops, said Santhana Devi, President of CNP+.This concept was aimed at making condoms more accessible to the public, she added.The promotion of condoms in this way could reduce the threat of spread of HIV considerably, she said.The city is expected to get 25 such machines, Ms.Santhana Devi said.
