NCKU implements two condom vending machines on campus

National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), southern Taiwan, implementing two condom vending machines, June 27, on campus makes it the first national university in Taiwan to promote safe sex and healthy lifestyles among the students.

The condom vending machines on campus would help make condoms more accessible to students, instead of students going to the Health Center to get condoms from the nursing staff, according to the university.

The safe-sex campaigning on campus preventing AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases is urgent when the percentage of AIDS patients is growing in Taiwan, NCKU President Hwung-Hweng Hwung noted.

The opening ceremony of the two condom vending machines scheduled on the National HIV Testing Day, June 27, is meaningful and is intended to raise awareness of safe sex among the university students.

President Hwung stressed the importance of prevention and pointed out that social costs will be substantially reduced when the prevention takes effect. Thanks to the mayor and the deputy mayor both of whom have educational ground in medicine, the well-round policy on AIDS prevention is possible to carry out in Tainan City.

Deputy Mayor of Tainan City Chun-Zuo Yen said that according to the statistics issued by Department of Health, Executive Yuan, Taiwan, AIDS is the tenth of ten leading cause of death for youth ages in Taiwan. Among age 15 to 24, the number of AIDS patients is increasing.

According to the report of Tainan City Health Bureau, AIDS is the sixth major infectious disease in Tainan. Among the 142 infected in 2012, nearly 70 percent of the patients are university students.