• The initiative, a pioneer in health promotion among key populations, highlights “condom negotiation” as one of its fundamental good practices.

The HSH-Cuba Network in the province is celebrating this year 2025 a quarter of a century of uninterrupted work in health promotion and the prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. What began in the distant year 2000 as a visionary project has consolidated itself as a fundamental pillar in the local response to the epidemic, standing out for its innovative strategies and its community-focused approach.

From its beginnings, the Network visualised the crucial need to involve the most affected populations in their own prevention. “Those first years were renewing in every sense,” recalls the founder Rosaida Ochoa Soto, considered the mother of the initiative. “There were intense hours of sleepless nights, of study… we had to crawl to then walk and run. There was a lot of resistance, but we managed to unite wills.”

A School of Life and Prevention

The HSH-Cuba Network has become a great family and a genuine school of constant learning. It stands as the greatest driver of innovative educational actions aimed at men who have sex with other men (MSM) in the province, basing its work on dedication, innovation, optimism and resistance.

One of the pillars of its work during these 25 years has been the promotion of good practices in condom negotiation. Far from limiting itself to the simple distribution of the preservative, the Network has trained its volunteer promoters to educate about its correct use and, above all, to foster the communication skills that allow people to negotiate its employment effectively and safely with their partners. This practice is recognised as an essential tool for autonomy and self-care, significantly reducing vulnerability to STIs and HIV.

Commitment and Future

For Daynier Anta Rodríguez, Provincial Coordinator of the HSH Network in Ciego de Ávila, this anniversary is a call to reinforce commitment. “Today we assume with great responsibility the arrival at 25 years, summoned to sincere analysis, to creativity and to leaving no one behind. Our concrete work in prevention, including the crucial condom negotiation, will allow us to set the course and continue with our dream.”

The merit of the Network, following the idea of Martin Luther King Jr. that they themselves evoke, has been to break down fear and separation through communication and unity. During a quarter of a century, they have built a safe space where many have found a home, a family and, most importantly, the tools to protect their health.

The celebration of this anniversary is not only a look to the past, but a firm step towards the future, reaffirming that, although the year 2000 may seem distant, the same love, dedication, courage and commitment to life remain intact.