A. Samoan retailer backs ‘Safe Festival’ campaign

Fala Leasiolagi, owner of the Island Stop & Go shop, who is distributing free Safe Festival condom packs, believes the move will attract more business.

The Safe Festival campaign is being run by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s HIV & STI Section, in collaboration with the American Samoan Department of Health and the Festival Organizing Committee. Its aim is to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS and sexually transmitted infections.

At the start of the festival, campaign organizers had intended to distribute 2,000 backpacks containing packages of female and male condoms, factual information on HIV and AIDS, HIV testing, STIs, and safe sex, and other health promotion items, to participants through health briefings with each country delegation.

However, after the condom distribution was criticized by local Catholic bishop, Bishop Weitzel, the Congregational Christian Church asked that the condoms be removed from the backpacks to be given to around 800 artists housed at its Kanana Fou Theological Campus.

When Leasiolagi, heard this, he offered to help out. In fact, he says he was approached by American Samoa’s Medical Director, Dr. Ivan Tuliau, to distribute the condoms from his shop, which is handily located for festival participants staying at Kanana Fou. He immediately recognized it as a business opportunity, saying, “I’m willing to consider anything that will bring more customers through the door.”

However, it is also a chance to assist the festival organizers he says. “The entire community is helping the Festival Organizing Committee and this is my contribution. I don’t see anything wrong with condom distribution. I don’t see why they’re making a big deal of it. It’s for the safety of everyone.”

He says many of the people who come in for condoms also buy other goods. While some people are shy, others are uninhibited. “Some people take several packages to give to their friends who are too shy to come in. Some people come in, then go out until they build up enough courage and come back in again.”

People generally come in groups of four or five and are a mix of all ages with the majority being in their 20s and 30s, says Leasiolagi. Those around 50 years or more are mainly women and in general more women than men are taking the condoms. Both sexes are taking female and male condoms.

Many locals are also taking advantage of the free condoms and Leasiolagi, who does not currently sell condoms, intends to start stocking them.

He says sexuality is an issue that is not often spoken about in American Samoa. “It’s just how we are. We don’t openly talk about sexual issues.”

This is beginning to change though. The territory has high rates of teenage pregnancy and the government is currently running a teenage pregnancy awareness campaign.

Leasiolagi believes the issue is becoming less taboo for young people because of greater exposure to Western influences and easier access to information through various media.

“The government is trying to take a lead on opening up forums, for example, it is encouraging talk within families.”

Leasiolagi has not encountered any problems or criticism with distributing the condoms. “[Free] distribution is a lot easier than retail,” he laughs.

SPC’s HIV and STI prevention adviser, Robyn Drysdale, says previous experience in the Pacific shows that people are at greater risk during big regional events. In Palau, STI rates increased threefold in the three months after the Festival of Pacific Arts was held there in 2004. Two HIV cases were diagnosed in the months following, which may have been as a result of the festival. However, with HIV it is hard to identify the exact moment of infection because HIV antibodies show up anywhere between two weeks and three months after infection occurs. Because someone can have HIV for months or years without knowing it, the only way people can be sure of their status is to have an HIV antibody test.

The organizers of the Safe Festival campaign are distributing female and male condoms at various festival venues and are also offering free, confidential HIV testing. Over 2000 artists are attending the festival. [B][I](SPC)
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