China promotes AIDS awareness with world’s largest condom

Carrying the message of "Control population growth, pay attention to sexual health, prevent AIDS," a bright yellow giant condom covered the facade of a 20-story hotel in the southern Chinese city of Guilin on Friday to help mark United Nations World Population Day. The hotel, which is cylindrical, provided the perfect shape for erecting the giant condom, according to the hotel manager, who declined to give her name. Guilin Latex Co. applied to the publishers of the Guinness Book of World Records to recognize their giant condom as the world's largest, which is nearly 330 feet around and 260 feet tall. Local activists and international experts agree that more publicity and government leadership are needed to avert an AIDS catastrophe in China, where as many as 5 million residents may already be HIV-positive.