The UK’s first ‘one stop online pharmacy and doctors’ is giving away free condoms for a week, to any men buying erectile dysfunction products as part of raising awareness for World AIDS Day on Thursday, December 1.

Medical Specialists have teamed up with Mates Condoms to give away the free condoms for a whole week, to promote sexual health in the UK, where 40% of men over 40 suffer from erectile dysfunction issues.

As of June 2010 there are now over 90,000 people in the UK who are living with HIV which is move than ever, and in 2009 there were 6,630 new diagnoses of HIV, some which can be contributed to not wearing a condom whilst engaging in sexual activity. This year alone there were 26,262 diagnoses of Aids in the UK and 19,457 people diagnosed with HIV have died, and over half of all people living with HIV are aged between 30 and 44, which is in-line with the average age range of men being treatment for Erectile Dysfunction online.

The number of Britons living with HIV has trebled in the last decade, over 2/3rds of those are men and the most common cause is unprotected sex. “One in six people living with HIV in the UK is over 50* and doctors are finding more instances than ever before of sexually transmitted diseases in the over 40s,” said Medical Specialists’ Managing Director David Bailey.

“We wanted to do our bit to help raise awareness of these issues for our customers which is why we have teamed up with Mates and will also be offering advice on our website on how to enjoy life to the full and stay healthy.”

World AIDS Day aims to tackle prejudice about HIV and also to inform people on how they can protect themselves against it. Condoms are usually used for birth control but they also reduce the risk of disease. That is why some people think that other forms of birth control -- such as the IUD, diaphragm, cervical cap or pill -- will protect them against diseases too, but that's not true. So if you use any other form of birth control, you still need a condom in addition to reduce the risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases. A condom is especially important when an uninfected pregnant woman has sex, because it can also help protect her and her unborn child from a sexually transmitted disease.

As a registered pharmacy with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the General Pharmaceutical Council, www.medical-specialists.co.uk is hoping to encourage safe sex among the older generation.

“We find that most of our customers buying erectile dysfunction products are over 40 because that is the age group most affected by impotence. By giving away free condoms to them, we hope to spread the word about safe sex to the older generation who often don’t think they are at risk,” added David.

Based in Greater Manchester and selling only UK branded medication, Medical Specialists means people can receive their diagnosis and prescription in a day, with products sent out within 24 hours. Customers can even send them their private prescription to be dispensed by their in-house pharmacy, if they are embarrassed to get the medication from their local pharmacy.

“We have an unrivalled pedigree in the sector because we were the first legal UK online clinic and have been going for more than 16 years. We are trusted by our customers, because we sell only genuine medication” said David.

Specialising in products for erectile dysfunction, smoking cessation, hair loss, obesity and skin and scalp ailments, the pharmacy website also sees an increased product range, a chemist shop, and lower prices than ever before. Products are dispatched within 24 hours through their private and discrete prescription service by their in-house GMC doctors and registered pharmacists.

Sex, Scene and Stuff