[Availability of condoms in Mexico City]

At the beginning of 1999, Mexico occupied third place, after USA and Brazil, in the number of accumulated cases of AIDS (38,390 notified cases) in America. More than 80% of the cases corresponded to men between 20 and 44 years old. The transmission by sexual route has increased in both sexes, the proportion of men infected by sexual contact increased from 85% in 1991 to 90% in 1998 and in women this proportion increased from 41% in 1991 to 57% in 1998. The ratio male/female of cases of AIDS has varied from 17:1 in 1983 to 6:1 in 1998. Condom use is considered an effective method for the prevention of the transmission of STI's/HIV and therefore the availability is of paramount importance to promote use with the finality of combating these diseases.

A simple randomized sampling was done in 612 establishments that included: drugstore, bars and nightclubs, hotels and motels, self-service shops and health centers in Mexico City, where am cross sectional study was performed during June and July of 1995, to evaluate the availability of condoms considering three important items: a) percent per capita required to buy an annual endowment of 100 condoms in comparison with this same indicator reported in other countries; b) physical availability, on behalf of the Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City, that considers the volume of existing condoms to be utilized for a year by the public sector in this city; c) physical availability of condoms in different evaluated locations.

In order to purchase an annual supply of condoms an individual needs the assign $500 (Pesos) which represents 2.3 to 2.6% of the annual GNP per capita for 1998 and 1997 respectively. The physical availability of condoms, on behalf of the Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City, was 94.9% in health centers. In drugstores, hotels and motels, self-service shops, bars and nightclubs the availability of condoms was 100%, 82.9%, 75% and 1.2%, respectively.

It has been documented that the adequate use of condom is an effective strategy for the prevention of STI's/HIV, therefore the availability of this method of prevention is important to decrease the incidence of these diseases The results of this study indicate that the price for this method of prevention represents an important expense for the homes, which is a limiting factor for condom use, especially for those populations that include adolescents and young adults. It then becomes necessary for Government Institutions to implement programs that will subsidize this method of prevention. Availability is less in self-service shops and practically non-existent in bars and nightclubs. It is suggested that the availability of condom should be mandatory in public places, like bars and nightclubs, where the risk to start casual sexual contact is eminent.