Female condoms make a come back in Uganda

Submitted by AkotJanetNyeko (AkotJanetNyeko) about 9 months ago

After ten years of absence, a new brand of female condoms has been introduced in Uganda to reinforce the prevention of HIV and increase the effectiveness of family planning options for women living with HIV/AIDS.

The female condoms have shown the ability to increase sexual libido among their female users and increase safer sexual practices for people living with HIV/AIDS.

The earlier female condoms, introduced in 2000, have been superseded with this new set of condoms. This was because the earlier condoms were incompatible with sexual styles - especially for those from western Uganda, too expensive and too noisy when used during sex. They were also made of latex causing pain to the female partner.

According to reports on its usage, the earlier female condoms had an unclear implementation and under-developed marketing strategy in Uganda. The new female condoms have been made of a different artificial rubber material that does not make noise during intercourse.

According to Vasta Kibirige, from the Ministry of Health, the new female condom was introduced with improved features including being well lubricated. She further explained that the new female condoms can be used even when a male partner is drunk since the female partner remains in control of her sex life.

There are plans to launch these condoms at both regional and national levels to improve its marketing strategy and for it to remain as effective as the male condom already in use in the prevention of transmission of HIV and unwanted pregnancies.

Busingye Janeva, project coordinator of the Most At Risk Populations’ Initiative (MARPI), maintains that the feed back from the users was positive and most said the new female condoms were better than the one introduced in the year 2000. However, users reported difficulties in inserting the female condoms for the first time.

The Ministry of Health plans to distribute 25,000 female condoms as part of a pilot scheme in Kampala, Pader and Kitgum districts. They will be available at health facilities, bars, toilets and to partner organizations ready for distribution to the public. Comments about the use of the condoms will be gathered and used to generate the best strategy for their distribution nationwide.

Re-introduction of the female condoms in Uganda is being spearheaded by the Programme for Assessable Health Communication and the United Nations Population Fund. The majority of beneficiaries are sex workers and at risk populations from and around Kisenyi, Bwaise and Mbuya in Kampala districts.

Keywords: Female Condom female condoms HIV/AIDS Marketing strategy People Living with HIV/AIDS Uganda Vaginal intercourse

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