After my first day of shooting in Havana, Cuba I remember thinking to myself "Geez, there sure are a lot of nasty condoms in the streets here." I thought the same thing after my second day of shooting, and third, fourth and so on. Toward the end of my trip I began thinking "If I took a shot of every condom I saw on the sidewalk, street, alley, etc., that would have made an interesting story...too bad." But instead of giving up on the idea, I decided I would just photograph every condom I saw for the rest of the day and make that into a story. After two hours, I decided I had made my point and gave up. Below are contact sheets of condoms I saw on the ground in Havana during a two hour walk and exploration.
Now you are probably asking yourself the same questions I was. Are people having crazy sex all over the place here?? Is sex the national sport of Cuba?? Why are people not having sex in their own homes, there can't be this many horny homeless people can there??
I was going nuts trying to figure out what was going on here. I have traveled, lived in, worked in 60-something countries around the world but I have never seen anything like this. What is the answer to this mystery?
And then...
Finally...
On my second to last day in the country...
A clue came running through the street...
Obviously this one kid is not responsible for the massive amounts of condoms in the streets of Havana. Even if kids playing with condoms as balloons account for some of the condoms I saw on the ground, there still must be a lot of public sex going on here. Or is there some other answer to this mystery?
Interesting. I don't recall seeing condoms all over the place when I was in Havana. But I spent most of my time in Old Havana, which was kept pretty clean for the tourists, so that might be why I didn't see this.
Posted by: Adam Snider | October 21, 2009 at 17:46
Buildings and houses are so old sometimes, you wouldn't dare to shake it too much :D
Posted by: Heimana | October 21, 2009 at 17:59
Oh, and where was that? I don't remember neither seeing so much condoms there, even in less touristic places...
Posted by: Heimana | October 21, 2009 at 18:02
That's a LOT of condoms! What the heck? I am so curious now too...
Posted by: Roxy | October 21, 2009 at 20:12
i cant tell from the pics but are the wrappers found near most of the condoms? Maybe condoms are distributed for free (AIDS awareness etc) and ppl just rip em open out of curiosity and then chuck them wherever they open them? Could explain why the kid was using it as a balloon. Free distribution and easy access.Maybe.
Posted by: Kismet | October 21, 2009 at 20:23
It is very interesting...
Posted by: pd | October 21, 2009 at 21:30
Too funny! But weird too...though I'm sure there's some explanation.
Posted by: akinoluna - a female Marine | October 21, 2009 at 23:49
I have been to birthday parties in Cuba for both kids and adults and there were balloons made from Condoms as they cant get balloons as easily as they can get condoms. Guess its one explanation!
Posted by: Kelly | October 22, 2009 at 00:12
Hahaha, that is a lot of condoms.. These photos would make for a very, very strange coffetable book.
Posted by: Fredrik Berg | October 22, 2009 at 09:31
Very odd, indeed. Prostitution? Why the streets?
Posted by: Lisa | October 23, 2009 at 01:56
Too funny! I am so curious now too. And really, this would probably be a popular coffetable book oddly enough.
Posted by: Julie | October 23, 2009 at 19:32
I have a theory:
Here in Brazil, during Carnaval, we have massive free condoms distributions, as part of the government's anti-aids program... so, people that will not actually use them, tend to play with them... Now Brazil and Cuba are very different places, but maybe someone has been giving away lots of condoms... in this case, lack of sex (instead of to much sex) would be the explanation!
Posted by: Pedro Angelini | October 24, 2009 at 16:22
Interesing find!
Posted by: Enche Tjin | October 25, 2009 at 17:54
that's too funny man. That boy is standing with balloon condom. I think that it is a last level of prostitution in brazil.
Posted by: fathers day | October 27, 2009 at 11:07
Brilliant collection! i think any one of these photos of a used condom on their own may not be a very effective picture-but they have strength in numbers!
im curious as to what exactly they were all used for... ive heard of other uses for condoms..keeping water out of gun barrels, glue sniffing,water bombs etc-so im happy to see the last few pictures have a nice inocent use:)
great work
Posted by: simon harper | October 29, 2009 at 17:45
Extremely Bad news about Cuba. I think the people of Cuba should think over that. By reading the article it seems that Sex is the national sport of the Cuba.
Posted by: acai berry | November 07, 2009 at 04:19
I can't solve the mystery, but I know that condoms are cheap in Cuba. I saw them on sale for five cents each - 15 cents for a box of three - during a trip to the island less than a year ago.
Posted by: Tracey Eaton | November 18, 2009 at 23:18
Great job, there are to reson why. cubans are very hot, and condom are vey cheap as a measure to prevent aids and other sexual transmition diseases, remember that cuba is a poor country with high educational and sanitary level.
Posted by: kiki | November 21, 2009 at 06:34
Hii..i cant tell from the pics but are the wrappers found near most of the condoms? Maybe condoms are distributed for free (AIDS awareness etc) and ppl just rip em open out of curiosity and then chuck them wherever they open them? Could explain why the kid was using it as a balloon. Free distribution and easy access.Maybe...
thanks and regards
david
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Posted by: David Baer | December 29, 2009 at 12:11