By GREG ANSLEY Herald correspondent
CANBERRA - The march of condom trees is continuing across Australia's remote and sexual disease-ridden northwest.
Introduced two years ago to combat sexually transmitted disease among the Aborigines of Western Australia's Kimberley region, the "condom trees" are among the world's most novel dispensers.
Condoms are packed into
PVC piping slung from the branches of trees around popular drinking and socialising areas to encourage safe sex among people who previously eschewed protection.
The unique dispensers were devised by health authorities alarmed at the rate of STD among Aborigines in the region, which has only 2 per cent of the state's population but 48 per cent of its reported STD cases.
A WA Health Department report warned that since 1994 the rate of HIV/Aids infection has been rising despite a fall among non-Aboriginals.
In remote areas the infection rate was almost 12 times higher than the state average, with Aborigines - only 3 per cent of the population - accounting for seven of the about 50 new cases reported every year.
The condom trees were launched in Fitzroy Crossing, 2500km north of Perth, where STDs ran rampant among the 3500 Aborigines living in the surrounding region.
Trees were selected according to the cultures of the four language groups and since the dispensers were strung from their branches by the Nindilingarri Cultural Health Service infection rates have fallen.
Condom trees appeared at other remote centres at Halls Creek and the port of Derby. The Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley is considering establishing condom trees to combat STDs in its region.
