Seke district has a quarterly uptake 200 000 male condoms while female condoms have a range of 5 000 to 10 000.
By Kudakwashe Pembere
During a Mashonaland East media tour organised by the National AIDS Council (NAC), the organisation’s District AIDS Coordinator (DAC) for Seke district Ms Florence Nyandoro told HealthTimes in an interview last week that, “Our quarterly average uptake for male condoms is 200 000 and the female condoms are in the range of 5 000 and 10 000.”
Explaining the uptake difference, she said it was due to the sensitization of male condoms which preceded that of female condoms.
What happens is that the awareness on the female condoms came way later than the male condom. Otherwise, awareness on the female condom is increasing which has resulted in the improved use of the female condom. We are telling our community cadres to promote the female condom as much as they do the male condom. We are hoping with time, the uptake of the female condom will be as high,” Ms Nyandoro said.
Ms Nyandoro also said they have had interesting observations where in discordant couples, males would take female condoms for their partners.
“The other commendable thing we have observed is females are also taking the male condoms. There are very few cases in discordant couples where males take the female condom for their partners. This is very interesting. We are encouraging and promoting the use of condoms because of its dual protection against STIs and HIV,” she said.
She also dispelled the myths and misinformation that some condoms are small.
“That condoms here in Zimbabwe are too small as being made in China is misinformation and a myth. Alongside our partners, we tell communities that there is no truth in that. Condoms are manufactured in a one size fits all technique. There is no such thing that the condoms are small and unusable. We don’t encourage such mindsets. If we give people accurate information, this promotes usage of condoms thus protecting people from unwanted pregnancies, STIs and HIV,” said Ms Nyandoro.
She discouraged the use of herbal sex enhancement concoctions.
“We don’t encourage the use of herbal concoctions as sex enhancing drugs. We want people to seek medical advice for medicines to use should one have a sexual related problem,” said Ms Nyandoro.
