South China's Guangdong Province is giving away 100,000 condoms for free to mark the World AIDS Day on December 1st. Brochures on how to prevent AIDS are also available.

The free condoms, provided by the province's Center for Disease Control, are available at Guangdong's major cities for one month along with brochures on how to prevent AIDS are also given.

Also, a new kind of condom specially for male homosexuals will be on the market next year.

Gays account for about five percent of the province's total population, and the special condom will help them better prevent the virus.

Statistics show that Guangdong Province has about 4,500 registered HIV/AIDS carriers at the end of 2003, the fourth highest level in the country.

(CRI November 23, 2004)