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DC Female Condom Programs Saves Taxpayers Millions

According to a study, conducted by conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the D.C. Department of Health and published in AIDS and Behavior, a program in Washington DC, which gives female condoms to residents at no cost, saved $6 million in medical costs its initial year. During the program’s first year alone, 200,000 condoms were distributed throughout DC at beauty salons, clinics, and convenience stores.

David Holtgrave, an author of the study, stated, “When we think about what it means for a city or state to have a comprehensive HIV program, this study really says you ought to include female condoms as one element of a comprehensive program because it’s acceptable, effective and cost-saving.”

The program started two years ago in Washington DC, the city with the highest HIV/ AIDS rate in the United States. According to the Washington Post, “About 3 percent of the Washington population over the age of 12 has HIV or AIDS.”

National Partnership for Women and Families 3/27/12; Washington Post 3/26/12

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