Flavoured public condoms to hit bedrooms soon

Baboki Kayawe | Wednesday July 26, 2017 12:25

 

Chief health officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Elizabeth Koko said during an HIV/AIDS briefing that in 2008 studies revealed condom usage among the above mentioned age bracket stood at 78.4%, and the number dropped to 65.2% five years later in 2013.

While condom distribution, availability and access as well as the public’s dislike for government availed condoms have been cited as reasons for the worrying trends, there are many more, she said. 

“We still have cultural and religious belief systems that prohibits condom use. The other reason we have noted as health authorities is that the fertility value of the semen is seen to go to waste when a condom is used,” Koko said.

According to ministry statistics urethral discharge syndrome, vaginal discharge and other STIs have been in the increase between 2010 and 2015.  In 2010 for instance, there were 13,218 cases of urethral discharge syndrome while the figure shot to 27,585 in 2015. Vaginal discharge cases increased from 31,500 in 2010 to over 55,000 in 2015.

The state of affairs is reported worrisome such that for the first time in the history of health care management, the Central Medical Stores is experiencing a huge backlog of condoms.

However, health authorities admitted to system inefficiencies within their distribution value chain, which contributed to the public’s limited access to condoms.

Nonetheless, there have been numerous complaints about the quality of these products. And to deal with the issue of public condoms being unpopular due of scent and thickness as was the complaint with the recalled Lorato condoms, government would soon introduce new flavoured and branded condoms.

“The new condom will be available before end of this year. We have listened to the public outcry about Lorato hence the improved and flavoured product that is manufactured by Alpha Access- the same company that does South Africa’s Choice as well as Namibia’s Smile public condoms,” the health official told the press yesterday, adding that the condom will come in four flavours.

Koko added that in addition to decreased condom use; there has been an increase in multiple concurrent partnerships from 11.2% in 2008 to 15.8% in 2013 among the ages 15-49 years.