For the Department of Health, Valentines Day is not just about flowers and chocolates. It also signifies national Condom and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) campaign week.
Under a marquee at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), pink and blue condoms are spread out across the table. A demonstration on how to use a female condom does not seem to interest the group of young females who are watching. Both male and female students seem to prefer the colourful condoms over the female condoms, which have a less appealing appearance.
“I don’t trust the female condom because I have heard that you have to put it in eight hours before sex. It looks uncomfortable,” says 22 year old Sheila Matsetela, a BCom Finance student at UJ.
In effort to promote safe sex in SA, tertiary institutions like UJ are running a week long condom awareness campaign. “The aim is to attract students by giving out fun and colourful condoms, which we hope will increase condom use amongst young people,” says Molimi Geya, the manager of primary health care at UJ Campus Health services.
“While we try to promote both male and female condoms, there is a large shortage of female condom supply from government,” says Geya.
Geya says that male condoms are popular, cheaper and are also promoted amongst young females due to the lack of appeal and shortage of female condoms.
A lack of sexiness is often associated with the use of female condoms. Jennifer Christian, the global social marketing advisor of Population Services International (PSI), says that efforts are being made to improve the marketing strategy of female condoms (FC2) in SA.
Previously the female condom was marketed as a means of female empowerment but this strategy was ineffective as men felt excluded from the dialogue. The revised marketing strategy aims to appeal to men by giving them the option of not having to use a condom.
Christian says that the greatest barriers to female condom usage are its availability, appearance and high costs. Female condoms cost more because it is manufactured from synthetic latex rather than natural latex. Due to the larger size of the female condom, more material is used.
However Christian says, “We want to focus on the positive attributes of the product. Female condoms promote a more natural and pleasurable feeling for both sexes.”
Clinical sexologist, Professor Elna McIntosh says that people often want to avoid the use of contraception because they want to experience sex naturally. “The female condom is brilliant. Unlike other contraception, it’s non- hormonal, does not cause weight gain or skin problems. Most importantly it protects you from pregnancy and STI’s,” says Professor McIntosh.
She explains that the main reason for the unpopularity of female condoms is because many females are not comfortable with their own bodies.
“A lack of responsibility, communication and negotiation are often the reason why females do not practice safe sex. This trend is witnessed amongst females across all age groups,” she says.
Professor McIntosh believes that when it comes to practising safe sex, females need to be more assertive.
FACT BOX:
According to the Department of Health:
• The unit cost of a male condom is R0, 25.
• The unit cost of a female condom is R8, 72
• The Departments target for female condom distribution 2012/ 2013 is 9 million, which is budgeted to cost R78 million.
• The Departments target for female condom distribution 2016 is 25 million, which is budgeted to cost R218 million.
Remember the condoms ...
For the Department of Health, Valentines Day is not just about flowers and chocolates. It also signifies national Condom and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) campaign week.
Under a marquee at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), pink and blue condoms are spread out across the table. A demonstration on how to use a female condom does not seem to interest the group of young females who are watching. Both male and female students seem to prefer the colourful condoms over the female condoms, which have a less appealing appearance.
“I don’t trust the female condom because I have heard that you have to put it in eight hours before sex. It looks uncomfortable,” says 22 year old Sheila Matsetela, a BCom Finance student at UJ.
In effort to promote safe sex in SA, tertiary institutions like UJ are running a week long condom awareness campaign. “The aim is to attract students by giving out fun and colourful condoms, which we hope will increase condom use amongst young people,” says Molimi Geya, the manager of primary health care at UJ Campus Health services.
“While we try to promote both male and female condoms, there is a large shortage of female condom supply from government,” says Geya.
Geya says that male condoms are popular, cheaper and are also promoted amongst young females due to the lack of appeal and shortage of female condoms.
A lack of sexiness is often associated with the use of female condoms. Jennifer Christian, the global social marketing advisor of Population Services International (PSI), says that efforts are being made to improve the marketing strategy of female condoms (FC2) in SA.
Previously the female condom was marketed as a means of female empowerment but this strategy was ineffective as men felt excluded from the dialogue. The revised marketing strategy aims to appeal to men by giving them the option of not having to use a condom.
Christian says that the greatest barriers to female condom usage are its availability, appearance and high costs. Female condoms cost more because it is manufactured from synthetic latex rather than natural latex. Due to the larger size of the female condom, more material is used.
However Christian says, “We want to focus on the positive attributes of the product. Female condoms promote a more natural and pleasurable feeling for both sexes.”
Clinical sexologist, Professor Elna McIntosh says that people often want to avoid the use of contraception because they want to experience sex naturally. “The female condom is brilliant. Unlike other contraception, it’s non- hormonal, does not cause weight gain or skin problems. Most importantly it protects you from pregnancy and STI’s,” says Professor McIntosh.
She explains that the main reason for the unpopularity of female condoms is because many females are not comfortable with their own bodies.
“A lack of responsibility, communication and negotiation are often the reason why females do not practice safe sex. This trend is witnessed amongst females across all age groups,” she says.
Professor McIntosh believes that when it comes to practising safe sex, females need to be more assertive.
FACT BOX:
According to the Department of Health:
• The unit cost of a male condom is R0, 25.
• The unit cost of a female condom is R8, 72
• The Departments target for female condom distribution 2012/ 2013 is 9 million, which is budgeted to cost R78 million.
• The Departments target for female condom distribution 2016 is 25 million, which is budgeted to cost R218 million.
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