City Health Workers Hand Out Free Condoms On World AIDS Day
CHICAGO (CBS) -- In an effort to reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS on this World AIDS day, the city of Chicago was giving out free condoms Monday.
WBBM's Nancy Harty reports CTA riders at a handful of L stops were greeted by city public health department workers and volunteers handing out condoms.
Commissioner Bechara Choucair says about 1,000 people in Chicago were diagnosed with new cases of HIV last year and more than half of those in the city with the disease are getting treatment, which is above the national average.
Podcast
"You get to live longer and healthier lives but most importantly or equally as importantly is it minimizes the risk of spreading HIV to others," Choucair said.
But Simone Koehlinger with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago says they still have work to do.
"Up to 16 percent of people living with HIV don't even know they have the disease," she said.
The city hands out 10 million free condoms a year. It also offers free HIV testing.
