To advocate safe sex and AIDS prevention, Beijing's health bureau distributed 400,000 free condoms to 119 contract hotels of the Olympic Games, as well as other hotels in the city, said an official with the bureau on Friday.

Jin Dapeng, the bureau's Party chief, said the condoms had been put in more than 90,000 rooms of 424 hotels rated three stars and above.

The bureau also distributed 250,000 free pamphlets on AIDS prevention and control in contract and other hotels.

He said the authorities had trained thousands of Olympic volunteers to advocate AIDS prevention during the Games.

The Chinese organizers had worked with United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the International Olympic Committee to distribute information about AIDS to participants in this year's Games.

In the clinic at the Olympic Village, some 100,000 high-quality condoms were available for distribution along with information on HIV prevention in English, French and Chinese.

"Now 180 college students and 500 community volunteers are ready to publicize AIDS-related knowledge. We have opened 40 clinics in Beijing's 18 districts and counties to offer free HIV tests and AIDS counseling," Jin said.

Jin said the Games were a good opportunity to amplify the AIDS prevention message globally as it brought an enormous influx of visitors to Beijing.

(Xinhua News Agency August 15, 2008)