The Female Condom Youths Advocates has described the lack of accessibility, affordability and availability of different brands of female condoms ‎as a major reason driving away the interest of women from using it.

 

‎The programme and Communication Officer, Education As a Vaccine (EAV), Ms. Marian Patrick, ‎disclosed this in Abuja at an event commemorating this year 'Global Female Condom Day 2015‎', where the group called on  the government to address the case of stock out in public health facilities .

 

 

According to her, "most people don't use female condoms because they find it not accessible and not affordable, they don't have a choice, meaning that there is no diversification of brands unlike the male condoms where you can get several brands, for female condoms we don't have brands‎.

 

‎"The problem of accessibility in female condoms push their lack on interest, when a lady wants a female condom and she gets to primary health centre or a pharmacy, what she gets is FC2, and some people want varieties, so they prefer having other brands as a choice, and not having those brands is discouraging them to look for female condoms knowing fully well that they can't access their own choice," Marian added.

 

The communication officer explained that the group wants youths to be involved in policies and plans of the government specifically that of Ministry of Health and National Action Committee on Aids (NACA) in procurement processes, especially as regards female condoms.

 

 

She emphasised further that government should put more effort in creating demand and accessibility for female condoms.

 

The group therefore demanded among other things that; "in reviewing major policy documents, especially those that relate to adolescents and young people's sexual and reproductive healthcare that female condoms are explicitly mentioned and also included in a section of its own.

 

"That the government build capacity healthcare providers at all levels to provide female condom services to adolescents and young people and the society at large," it noted.

 

The group also recommended that government at all levels and development partners need to invest in building capacities of healthcare workers, especially at the primary health care level to be able to inform, educate and promote female condoms to women.

 

By: Adedayo Akinwale

This Day