Prague - Hormonal contraception is popular mainly among women in Prague and it is the least popular in Central Bohemian, Plzeň and Vysočina regions.

The Institute of Health and Statistics´ survey shows that more than 70 percent of Czech women in the capital city use hormonal or intrauterine contraception.

In the Central Bohemian and Plzeň regions, it is only 47 percent.

HIV - a half-forgotten problem

However, the experts warn: girls try to avoid conception, but fail to protect themselves from HIV. And it is the capital city and the surrounding Central Bohemian region that suffer from the highest numbers of the infected.

On the contrary, the Vysočina and Pardubice regions show the lowest numbers. 

The statistics confirm this trend. Out of 21 people that were detected HIV positive in July, eight of them were from Prague. In the Vysočina and Pardubice regions, there were no infections at all according to the statistics.

In addition, in the first six months of this year, the doctors discovered 78 new cases of HIV infections, which is 21 more in the year-on-year comparison.

Young people under risk

Director of Dům světla (House of Light) Miroslav Hlavatý warns that at least one quarter of the HIV positive persons are not aware of their infection and keep spreading it. Dům světla is a Prague NGO that provides support to the HIV positive and also allows free tests.

Human Rights Minister Džamila Stehlíková (Green Party) plans to initiate an information campaign next year, which will aim at Czech youth, for it is above all the young people that tend to fear the disease less and less.

Stehlíková mentioned also an alarming trend of HIV positive people becoming younger and younger: it is above all women from 20 to 24 and men from 25 to 29 years that tend to get infected.

The ministry also plans to spend more money on prevention, above all free tests that would stop the unwilling spreading of the disease. 

According to the different survey conducted by the European Society for Contraception, 40 percent of Czech women use hormonal contraception, while only 13 percent use condoms.

Very liberal attitude

Generally it may be stated that Czech women´s percpetion of the contraception is among the most liberal in the world.

As much as 91 percent of the women see it as a natural part of their sex life and a planned parenthood instrument.

Only one percent of Czech women are against any type of contraception.

According to a Czech sexologist Petr Weiss, this attitude is absolutely unique. "Except the Netherlands, such a liberal attitude can be found only in the Czech Republic," Weiss commented some time ago.