Written by Shillah Mwadosho
2012-01-10 11:19:00
Read 758 Times |
|
 Walking through the streets of all major towns, urban centers, market places, male condoms of different brands are displayed with varying price tags and there is nothing strange about it.
Walk into a backstreet kiosk, retail shop in the dusty villages, supermarkets, night clubs, and public lavatories even female washrooms, and you will not miss to see a box containing male condoms and a very appealing message printed on it.
But wait, even in hospitals, our leading hospitals, you will be shocked that even some of the doctors, nurses and any other staff working there have never heard, leave alone seen the female condom.
In early last year, in March, there was a wave of fear, uncertainty when it was reported that there was a shortage of male condoms in the country and more disturbing, that some people were re-using the all important tool in HIV/AIDS prevention, pregnancies, and other STDs.
Reports indicated that people were washing, drying and re-using the condoms as the shortage bit through the country like bush fire. Some event went further to use polythene papers used for wrapping sugar or bread. Very disturbing indeed.
However, through all this time, it was never reported that there had been an increase in female condom use, or that they were now in high supply to cushion the shortage.
The government undertook upon itself to seek 45 million emergency condoms from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The Director of Public Health Dr. Shahnaaz Sharif said then that the stock of condoms in the country ran out due to the demand that had exceeded supply and also because procurement bureaucracy had slowed down their acquisition adding that the last batch of 19 million condoms had been delivered in January and lasted for one and a half months.
Now it is a year after that batch that only lasted for a month was no more forcing the government to seek urgent measures to avert a crisis.
Kenya, as many would like to describe, waits until the last minute to rush into addressing situations and we are yet to be told whether by March this year or April, the scenario would be repeated.
The last year’s condom shortage was a wake-up call for the government and concerned institutions to kick off public awareness on alternatives and the only one was to start with providing female condoms, supplying them, and mounting public awareness campaigns just as has been done for the male condom.
A spot check in rural Nandi County and its environs has revealed that there is little knowledge by the female residents about the female condom.
A visit to some of the local health centers was even more disturbing as they lacked the condoms, had a few packs for demonstrations on consultancy services, or even had no idea when they last had them.
According to one of the doctors at one o the facilities, the female condoms are available at the moment though the supply is very irregular and another thing that makes women prefer the male ones is that the female condoms are more expensive and tedious in using.
He reveals that their acceptance is low because it also needs one to be keen while fixing it because there is a risk of leakage of sperms during intercourse.
There has been poor sensitization campaigns thus little knowledge over the protection devices thus their poor supply, use and availability.
However, he said that aware of this, the doctors are sensitizing its use to females through seminars, women conventions, self help groups and through Breastfeeding Information Groups (BIG) where female nurses teach women on family planning methods even though there is still low users of female condoms.
There's an 80% acceptance of family planning but the application is low, he said.
Family planning is highly practiced in urban areas than in rural areas due to acceptability of the facilities.
There is also the African ego whereby when a woman gives birth to girls only she will keep on giving birth looking for a male child therefore family planning is forgotten.
Women tend to accept family planning than men. The available methods for family planning are preferred depending on each person’s hormonal imbalance status after confirmation from the doctor’s prescription. At the moment there is enough supply of condoms.
Besides, the female condoms are expensive and pose as a financial burden to the lowly paid rural residents who would rather buy a series of male condoms than spend a large amount of money on a single piece.
The underlying challenge however remains the public awareness campaign by the concerned authorities, supply and pricing.
Related:
|
