Is that a condom in your pocket or do you want a fine? That is the question police in a Colombian town may soon be asking all males over the age of 14 as part of a scheme to cut the rate of HIV infections.

William Peña, a councillor in the town of Tuluá, has proposed that males be forced to carry condoms in the same way they have to carry national identity cards.

Anyone caught without a condom would have to pay a small fine or attend a three-hour Aids prevention class, according to Mr Peña.

"For the first three months of the statute the penalties for not carrying a condom would be merely educational," he told El Tiempo newspaper.

"This is a country with a lot of sexual activity and Tuluá is no exception. This measure would not oblige anyone to have sex, only to protect themselves."

Tuluá, a town of 190,000 people, registered 14 deaths from sexually transmitted diseases last year. A poll has indicated that males become sexually active at about the age of 15.

Mr Peña says previous Aids prevention campaigns have been "misguided".

"They say 'use a condom' instead of 'carry a condom and then use it'. If you're always carrying a condom it is much easier to use it, that's why I made my proposal," he said.

The proposal has caused a stir among church leaders in the deeply Catholic country.

Father Jesús Velásquez of the local church said he would not let the measure pass without a fight, comparing it to "selling guns in the streets. What we need is education and respect for moral and Christian values."

The deputy health minister, Eduardo Alvarado, also questioned the proposal and said condom use should not be obligatory. "The best thing is to raise awareness and motivate people," he said. Mr Peña's proposal will be voted on when the town council resumes sessions next month.