HIV prevention: 83 in 100 young people never seen female condom

In December, the world focused on eradicating the HIV epidemic by educating community after community. That was the theme but the dynamics that of society and decision making that have fueled the spread of the virus continue to endanger communities.

A shift is growing, to empower women to negotiate decisions and protect themselves better with the female condom. It has been in supply for ages in Nigeria, but nearly every second person has never seen nor heard of it, let alone used it.

The observation is true in Durumi II, an inner-city settlement of Abuja, where nongovernment organisations spent World AIDS Day sensitizing young people and young mothers about the importance of prioritizing their health.

“I find it surprising and not surprising at the same time,” lsays Kosi Izundu, programme officer for reproductive health and family planning at Pathfinder International.

One of its projects is to sensitive communities on how to use the female condom properly and “in terms of what it does to prevent unintended pregnancies or infections,” says Izundu.

She spends a half hour talking to a gathering of men and women of Durumi, gauging their knowledge of HIV and the female condom, passing samples of the latex around and demonstrating how it is used.

“For communities like this we find it is difficult to access the female condom because of its availability and cost.

“Fifty percent of the people here have never seen the FC, some have seen but never used it, some have seen used ones disposed of.”

A study published in April in the Pan African Medical Journal reported 47 in 100 males and females aged 20 to 25 who responded to a survey had ever heard about female condoms. Only 16 in 100 of them had ever seen a female condom, and four in 100 had ever used it.

Like Andrew Andrews, in his thirties, married and resident in Durumi II.

“I have never used it and I don’t know anybody who has ever used it,” he says.

“I don’t really know why, because I don’t come across it. I have no access to it. Maybe if it were available, I could try it just to see, or maybe use both [male and female condom] for protection.”

The primary health centre in the community which opened this year doesn’t stock any family planning commodities even though it has the Green Dot that designates it as offering family planning services. Health workers have to buy implants, injections, and consumables from other suppliers to provide to women who visit for family planning services.

Amgah John, a pharmacist who works with Pathfinder, says the lack of awareness—let alone use of—about female condoms is not peculiar to backblocks, ghettos and urban slum neighbourhoods.

“It has to do with the way individuals see things. Most of the time, the responsibility is placed on the man to put on a condom.

“Sensitizing women about female condom, the woman holding their own destiny in their own hand, can go a long way—if the other partner refuses to put on a condom—to actually prevent infections.”

The commodity is free in public hospitals, but comes at a cost from private providers.

But it is largely provided to facilities by private donors—who are also pushing for government to procure the commodities and send to facilities.