Condoms outfit safe sex fashion show

Colombia fashion show promotes safe sex by dressing models in clothes made from 12,000 condoms.

REUTERS / UNTV - Playing it safe in style.

A fashion show in Colombia featured 12,000 condoms in a bid to promote safe sex and to raise awareness about the risks of HIV and AIDS.

Organizer and model Belky Arizala says the fashion show has long been a dream of hers.

Now, through her foundation, "The Soul Has No Colour", she's brought her dream to the catwalk, for the fourth time.

Belky Arizala, Colombian model and fashion show organizer, saying:

"This year the show has more of a voice because the main idea is to tell people to raise awareness about the use of condoms. Through a sensitive campaign using fashion we can start getting the message across in a much softer way so that people become more aware of the value of life."

According to UNAIDS, an estimated 33.4 million people worldwide are infected with the HIV virus.

And about 77,000 people died of AIDS-related illnesses in Latin America in 2009.

If the humble condom becomes more fashionable, those numbers might shrink considerably.

Tara Cleary, Reuters.