Young women dressed in skimpy Santa outfits have distributed 50,000 free safe-sex stocking stuffers condoms to holiday shoppers in the city-state's glitzy tourism and shopping district.

The sexy Santas from Takaso Marketing, which makes Playsafe condoms, handed out the prophylactics along busy Orchard Road over the pre-Christmas weekend, said the company's general manager, Tonya Tan.

"Our main objective is to educate the public on AIDS prevention and provide support on practicing safe sex," said Tan.

She wouldn't say how much the company spent on the campaign.

Chocolates and candies were handed out to children, she added.

Wealthy, highly developed Singapore hasn't been hit as hard by AIDS as some of its Southeast Asian neighbor countries. The government has stepped up its AIDS awareness programs in recent years.

A a total of 2,034 people in Singapore, an island republic with a population of 4 million, have been infected with the AIDS-causing virus HIV, according the nongovernment group Action For AIDS.

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