HIV/AIDS: Female Condoms Slowly Gaining Popularity - Report

This article discusses a report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) about the growing popularity of the female condom. According to the report, "For the fourth consecutive year, access to female condoms have increased dramatically, reaching a record number of 50 million...in 2009."

The article discusses creative communication strategies for promoting the female condom including:

•     Public education through billboards, radio spots, and TV advertisements (Zimbabwe);
•     Organisation of hairdressers and barbers to distribute condoms: "Often the hairdresser will work from a chair in her back yard. Such improvised salons stay open at all hours, so women can have their hair done - and discuss personal matters - in privacy." (Zimbabwe, Guyana, and Malawi);
•    The age-old custom of coffee ceremonies: a vehicle to promote the female condom with married women, emphasising its family planning benefits to help overcome the stigma of promiscuity associated with female condoms (Ethiopia).

According to the UNFPA, female condoms still lag behind male condoms in popularity, perhaps due to lack of information, higher prices, and social stigma for women who take control of their sexuality.