![]() ![]() We need to train health workers and educate people … But we don’t have money to do it.”Īccording to baseline research by UNFPA and UHMG in 2011, lack of information was the biggest hindrance to female condom take-up, with only a small minority of those interviewed having seen or used one. It’s not something that you can broadcast on radio and TV. “It takes time and money to create uptake and use. We need to do a lot of education and promotion for female condoms. Vastha Kibirige, from the Ministry of Health, said: “It’s a new method and people have a negative attitude about the product. “If not addressed, the issue of low utilisation of female condoms is likely to contribute to new HIV infections among young women in Uganda, more cases of other STIs among female sex workers and unwanted pregnancies,” said Apio. The groups most at risk are female sex workers, men who have sex with men and injecting drug users. Research conducted between January and March on the use of female condoms in districts including the capital, Kampala, found only a 2% demand for them, compared with 98% for male condoms. ![]() They can also be expensive if bought privately.Ī poster in Kampala aimed at raising awareness about HIV and Aids. Women who have used condoms complain they are hard to use and uncomfortable. They are one method among a range of contraceptives available in Uganda, the most popular of which are long-term injectables and implants. “With the proposed improvements, branding and different flavours to address the challenges that users expressed in surveys regarding the low uptake, the product should be able to do better,” he said.įemale condoms offer women protection against HIV and other STIs, as well as pregnancy. Rogers Sebukyu, warehouse and operations manager at UHMG, defended the decision to buy in female condoms, saying their improved design and awareness campaigns had generated more demand. “One would rightly consider it a waste given other unfunded priorities in HIV response such as co-morbidities and opportunistic infections like STI.” “This directly compromises efforts towards HIV prevention among key populations. “Unfortunately, uptake of female condoms remains low among women in the general and most at-risk populations,” Apio said. The findings come as New Vision newspaper reports that Uganda is facing a shortage of 150m male condoms this year.ĭinah Apio, HIV programme officer at Action Group for Health Human Rights and HIV/Aids (Agha), said money was being spent on sourcing the condoms at the expense of other essential supplies such as drugs to treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs). But campaigners say the majority of the condoms are left unused, adding that action needs to be taken to promote greater awareness of the benefits or to find new designs. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |