On Feb. 13, the eve of the Valentine’s Day 2012, AIDS Healthcare Foundation marked International Condom Day with worldwide events in which advocates gave away nearly half a million free condoms to the public in 21 countries.

The annual event organized by AHF strives to promote condom use as a way to prevent new HIV infections and help partners protect themselves and their loved ones from sexually transmitted diseases. In many locations, condom distribution was accompanied by free, rapid HIV testing and AIDS awareness-raising activities.