'Try eating candy without unwrapping it… That's what a condom is like': Philippines' President Duterte discourages 'unsatisfying' condom use as HIV cases in the country soar 3,147% in a decade

  • HIV cases has increased by 3,147 per cent from 2007-2017 in the Philippines
  • Philippine Department of Health reported 19.85 per cent increase from 2016 
  • President Rodrigo Duterte discouraged his population from using condoms
  • Compared using a condom during sex to 'eating a sweet with the wrapper on' 

Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has openly discouraged his countrymen from practicing safe sex, despite an increase in HIV cases of more than 3,000 per cent in the past decade.

President Duterte told Filipino men and women to avoid using condoms - claiming it makes sex unsatisfying, and comparing it to eating a sweet with the wrapper still on.

The controversial president made the statement during a speech discussing how to stem population growth in the Philippines.

Shocking: Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte told fellow countrymen to avoid practicing safe sex - comparing using a condom to eating a sweet with the wrapper still on

Shocking: Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte told fellow countrymen to avoid practicing safe sex - comparing using a condom to eating a sweet with the wrapper still on

'Pills are free. Don't use condoms because they don't feel good,' he was quoted as saying by CNN Philippines

Putting a wrapped sweet in his mouth, he added: 'Eat this. Don't unwrap it... It's like a condom.'

He then advised a gathering of mostly female workers who had recently returned to the Philippines after employment abroad to 'use contraceptive injections' as they would not affect their libido.

His comments came as a report from the Philippine Department of Health found that the number of HIV cases in the country has shot through the roof.

Not listening: Duterte made the comments despite a 3,147 per cent increase of reported cases of HIV in the Philippines in the past ten years

Not listening: Duterte made the comments despite a 3,147 per cent increase of reported cases of HIV in the Philippines in the past ten years

New cases of HIV increased by 3,147 per cent from 2007 to 2017, according to the figures seen by Al Jazeera

The report, published this month, found that 11,103 new cases were reported in 2017, an increase year-on-year of 19.85 per cent from 2016.

International rights organisation Human Rights Watch warned that 'it’s irresponsible for the Philippine president to downplay the importance of condoms at a time when the Philippines is experiencing the fastest growing epidemic of HIV in the Asia-Pacific region.

'Instead of criticizing condoms as a pleasure inhibitor, Duterte should take meaningful action to protect the health of Filipinos by backing urgently needed policy changes to expand the accessibility and use of condoms in the Philippines.' 

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