NYC to donate 1M condoms to Puerto Rico to fight Zika

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(NYC.gov)

New York City will donate 1 million condoms to Puerto Rico in an effort to prevent the spread of the Zika virus.

The city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will give the condoms to the Puerto Rico Department at Health, which will distribute them throughout the island, officials said.

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that can be spread through sexual activity. The CDC said that Zika can cause birth defects. Several countries and territories in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean are dealing with outbreaks.

"New York City is home to the largest population of Puerto Ricans in the continental U.S., and many New Yorkers travel back and forth to the island," Dr. Mary Bassett, New York's health commissioner, said in a news release. "We share the fight against mosquito borne viruses. Educating our citizens on practicing safe sex, using mosquito repellant, and removing standing water is part of this effort."

New York City launched its free condom program, dubbed NYC Condom, in 2007. More than 340 million male condoms have been distributed since then.