Science Café: Panty condom for HIV prevention

•      To understand what the Ministry of Health is doing to promote the female condom generally as one of the female-controlled HIV prevention interventions.

1-Ms Vasta

Kibirige

Ministry of

Health

Female

Muwonge

Medical

Foundation

Damulira

Marketing

Group

•      The topic on panty condoms was of interest to many journalists as seen from the kind of questions they were asking. Even though some were familiar with the female condom generally, few had heard or reported about the panty condom in particular. 

Programme, Ministry 

Ms Kibirige gave a brief history of the introduction of the female condom in Uganda. Although the male condom has always been part of the HIV prevention intervention, she said Uganda first introduced the female condom in 1998. At the time, the country imported 1million condoms. The plan was to distribute half of those condoms for free and then distribute the other half through social marketing campaigns. However, this did not go according to plan as the acceptability of the condom was very low.

Ms Kibirige said this was attributed to the lack of research undertaken before the condoms were introduced. Commonly known as FC1, women who used the condoms complained of them being too noisy and uncomfortable. There were also several myths about the condoms such as them disappearing in the uterus when used. She noted that part of the problem was the low sensitization of the public about the female condoms, which gave rise to the several myths about it. 

“We had to first change the attitudes of health workers so that they are able to market the condoms to women as an important tool for HIV prevention,” she said. 

The unpopularity of the first-generation female condom, also known as FC1 later gave way to a new condom, the FC2 or second-generation female condom.

According to Ms. Kibirige, in order to increase the acceptability of this condom, the ministry had to undertake sensitization of the community on the benefits of women having an HIV prevention intervention that they could control themselves. So far, she said the acceptability of the FC2 female condom has been positive. 

“Many women are now satisfied with this condom and we have been notified that some men like to use it too,” said Ms. Kibirige. 

She also noted that the Ministry is already developing a national condom strategy to spur condom use in the country.

The resource persons were also very informative on the different aspects of what they talked about. Although female condom has been discussed in the media before, the topic on the panty condom specifically enlisted a lot of curiosity as some journalists were hearing about the panty condom for the first time. 

A number of news stories, especially on radio have been aired on the panty condom.

2.    The Independent (Panty Condom hits Ugandan market)

3.    Bukedde (Baleese kondomu e’mpya)

4.    Radio One (Only 17% of Ugandans know how to use condoms)

5.    Bukedde Radio (Acceptability study on panty condom starts)

6.    Star FM (Aired January 26)  

7.    UBC Radio (Aired January 29)

8.    Radio Sapientia (Only 19% of Ugandans know how to use a condom)

9.    New Vision (Ugandan women to get panty condoms

10.  https://www.facebook.com/thenewvision/photos/a. 341594839077.151604.329423169077/10156218744734078/? type=3&theater&ifg=1

11.  Metro FM -Uganda to get panty condoms

12.  Capital Radio- panty condoms to help women protect themselves

13.  Super fm – Kondom ya bakyala ezze

14.  http://watchdoguganda.com/female-panty-condom-arrives             uganda/

15.  https://hejnu.ug/tag/panty-condom      /

16.  https://docs.google.com/document/d/

1bSEwdw5suZqvEUtHHz2H6NqcY0KUrHP3Jokjg8mYuus/edit