Europe Uses Facebook to Launch Condom Campaign

BRUSSELS — Members of the European Parliament who are also members of the Socialist Party have launched a petition drive on social networking website Facebook.

The petition, which is in the form of a group on Facebook.com, encourages member countries of the European Union to drop value added taxes (VAT) on condoms, in an attempt to encourage their use and potentially curb increasing HIV rates in Europe.

The online signups will be collected and presented to governmental ministers on Dec. 1 to coincide with Worlds AIDS Day.

"Cutting VAT on condoms to the minimum rate would be both a practical step in tackling AIDS and a powerful symbolic gesture on World AIDS Day,” Socialist Group Vice President Jan Marinus Wiersma said.

"HIV-AIDS is not just an issue for developing countries or specific groups in society. The World Health Organization confirms that new HIV infection rates are growing in its European region. In the European Union 26,984 newly diagnosed cases of HIV infection were reported in 2005. The predominant mode of transmission is heterosexual,” Wiersma said.

VAT rates vary among the 27 members of the European Union, from 0 percent in some countries to 25 percent in Sweden and Belgium. According to the Irish Examiner, VAT rates on condoms are 21 percent. Last year, the British government reduced VAT on condoms from 17.5 percent to 5 percent.

"Our campaign is a serious and practical attempt to make condoms cheaper and to remind young people in particular that HIV and AIDS are still a health threat in Europe,” Socialist Group leader Martin Schulz said.

"We also want more education and awareness. Condoms protect people not only against the rising rate of HIV transmission but also against other sexually transmitted infections such as Chlamydia. Chlamydia infection rates are climbing and can lead to infertility and in some cases death,” Schulz said.

Since the petition campaign launched on Nov. 8, the Socialist Party reports that more than 1,000 signatures have been collected.

"People power can spur governments to act. We urge people across Europe to take a few minutes to sign our online petition and to join our Facebook group,” Wiersma said.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Trump Administration Issues Executive Order Against 'Debanking'

The White House on Thursday issued an executive order limiting financial institutions’ ability to restrict access to financial services for people or groups involved in lawful industries, a longtime goal of adult industry advocates and stakeholders.

Go.cam Launches Free Age Verification Solution, Anti-Fraud Features

Go.cam has announced that its age verification solution is now free with updated anti-fraud and identity protection features.

Florida AG Sues EU-Based Adult Companies for Failing to Age-Verify Users

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit Monday with the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida against five EU-based adult companies for allegedly failing to require age verification before allowing access to adult content.

SkyPrivate Launches 'Telegram Pay-Per-Minute' Feature

SkyPrivate has launched a new pay-per-minute (PPM) private show option on Telegram.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Money and Mental Health' Online Event

Pineapple Support is hosting a free, online event to help performers balance financial wellbeing with mental health, Aug. 18-19.

Arcom Warns 5 Adult Sites Over Age Verification

French media regulator Arcom has sent enforcement notices to the operators of five adult websites that the agency says have failed to implement age verification as required under France’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

MojoHost Debuts NVIDIA Blackwell-Powered Hosting

MojoHost has announced the launch of NVIDIA Blackwell-powered hosting featuring RTX 6000 Pro MaxQ GPUs.

FSC: Identity Theft Targeting Adult Performers

The Free Speech Coalition has put out an alert warning of an individual found to be targeting adult performers for identity theft.

Assylum.com Implements New Age Verification System

Assylum.com has introduced an age verification system across its member sites.

European Commission to Assess Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX Compliance With Digital Services Act

The European Commission plans to conduct a study to determine how well adult sites Pornhub, XVideos and XNXX are addressing illegal content and other potential harms under the EU’s Digital Services Act.

Show More