Female Condom Fact Sheet

    

Introduction

Uganda Female Condom Coalition (UFCC) is a policy advocacy coalition comprised of twenty organizations working on reproductive health and HIV and AIDS that are committed to the promotion of the use of the Female Condom as an alternative means of family planning and prevention of STIs/HIV and AIDS. The Coalition was galvanized into formation after the training on ‘Female Condom Advocacy’ training organised by Centre for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) and Global Campaign for Microbicides in June 2009. 

In Uganda women make up more than half of the 1.3 million people currently infected with HIV. The consequences of unprotected sex and the huge burden of unplanned pregnancy and risk of infection are primarily faced by women. This situation calls for a response that effectively addresses the exceptional vulnerability of women moreover HIV/AIDs infection patterns have shifted from single/casual to long-term stable relationships. Uganda’s 2005 sero-survey suggests that up to 65% of new HIV infections are occurring among married people making it necessary for new strategies to be adopted and the female condom is one such strategy.

The facts speak for themselves about the acceptability of the female condom, its effectiveness and the action that has to be undertaken. Female condoms exist now; the push for universal access to them should begin.

Why the Female Condom should be Accessible?

251 million women in developing countries would like to use the female condom but have no access to it.

·      The female condom offers women and men dual protection

·      The female condom protects sexually transmitted infections including HIV and prevents pregnancy.

·      The female condom contributes to meeting international commitments on development.

·      The Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) on maternal and child mortality and morbidity rates, as well as   HIV/AIDS will not be attained if existing technologies, such as the female condom, remain out of the reach of women who need this condom.

·      Gender inequality is an important driver of the HIV epidemic, the feminisation of AIDS has become a reality. Women make up more than half of the 1.2 million people currently infected with HIV in Uganda. In sub-Saharan Africa 76% of HIV-positive youth are female. Women and girls face the consequences of unprotected sex and bare a huge burden of unwanted pregnancy and risk of infection. The female condom is the only device that offers dual protection, is women-initiated and is available now. Universal access to female condoms should therefore be a priority.

The Availability of Female Condoms in Uganda

•    From 1993 to 2005 the only female condom was the Female Health Company FC.
•    FC1 is now being replaced by FC2, those are the only two female condoms with WHO pre qualification
•    Dr. Reddy female condom has not yet fulfilled all the requirements of the WHO pre-qualification procedure. It is approved for use throughout Europe and many other countries and around five million were sold commercially between 2003 and 2007.
•    The PATH woman’s condom is under development and is seeking funding for trails to gain approval.
•    Only 0.24 per cent of all condoms produced are female-condoms.

What is hindering the Demand/Uptake of the Female Condom?

•    Failure to promote and increase the production of female-condoms is due to: ignorance, culture, denial, “poverty” and conservatism:
•    Ignorance causes poorly informed decision makers to rely on media stereotypes regarding female condoms rather than scientific studies.

•    Culture creates a sometimes explicit bias to female condoms; the personal beliefs and values of a few individuals often prevail over evidence informed policy guidance.
•    Denial allows sceptics to argue that the female-condom is just an expensive condom that still requires negotiation. Moreover, it permits ignorance towards the men who don’t like to use male condoms, and prefer female-condoms.
•    “Poverty” and the claim that female-condoms are not affordable are the most publically acceptable reasons for failing to make female-condoms accessible

Benefits of the Female Condom

•    Qualitative studies find an increased sense of power for negotiation of safer sex, and a greater sense of control and safety during sex, among women using female-condoms.
•    Effective female-condom programming also enables women, men and health professionals to gain a better understanding of women’s bodies and a greater ability to discuss sexuality and safer sex.
•    Female-condoms have the advantage of no side effects, are reversible forms of contraception, and can be used without seeking a health-care provider.
•    Female-condoms offer more flexibility regarding the timing of putting them on (up to 8 hours before the sexual act) and taking them off.
•    Synthetic female-condoms have a soft, moist texture which feels more natural during sex. For men the sensation is closer to that of sex without a condom, because female condoms do not fit tightly around the penis as male condoms do.
•    Unlike latex condoms, synthetic female condoms are not damaged by oil based lubricants nor affected by changes in temperature and humidity, so they can be safely stored almost anywhere.

Recommendations for Change:
•    Reduce the price of female-condoms. This can achieved by creating demand, investing in new designs, encouraging the not-for profit production of female-condoms, and allowing generic versions of female-condoms to be produced.
•    Create visible global leadership through the collaboration of UNAIDS, UNFPA, and donor and development organizations. Use this global leadership to promote female-condoms as a contraceptive and a prevention method against STIs including HIV. Moreover, work to raise the female-condom distribution rate and lower the cost.
•    Incorporate the female-condom within the gender and health policies of UN agencies and international donors. Incorporation of such would significantly boost investment.
•    Support female-condom research and development. Variety is needed because it is not one size fits all. Moreover a new female condom is needed to increase demand and will reduce the price.
•    Create comprehensive long-term integrated female-condom programming. National governments, civil society organizations, and the private sector should collaborate to create programming and thus work to make female condoms available to all women and men.