Among the different factors that hinder people from using condoms in Uganda, the concerns about the size of the condoms being small making men uncomfortable while using them has led to many to ignore them thereby engaging in unprotected sex and increase the risk of the spread of HIV/AIDs in the country.
In addition to the size of the condoms, other factors stop people from using condoms including poor attitude among members thinking condoms are not effective, knowledge and consistent use of condoms is lagging among others.
According to the Ministry of health, due to the different perceptions that people have to justify why they don’t use condoms, in 2022 alone, 52,000 new HIV infections and 350 teenage pregnancies were recorded which cases would be averted if people used condoms.
Additionally, the use of condoms in the country is still very low among women who engage in sexual intercourse with non regular partners with 37%, men with non regular partners being 57%, and the youth between 15-24 being only 26%.
Addressing the media at the media science cafe hosted by the health Journalists Network in Uganda ( HENJU)at their offices in Kamwokya, the programs officer for condom programming in the Ministry of Health Dr. Boniface Epoku said that In abid to find out how the size of condoms scares away people from using them, the Ministry of health started conducting a people centred approach to listen to what communities think about the size of condoms and based on the feedback from the engagements, the Ministry is conducting a survey on the size of the condoms and if it is confirmed that size 53 is small to be used, then the ministry will switch to size 56 which is bigger, to enable people to comfortably use them.
Dr. Epoku added that this will help to solve the challenges associated with small condoms size and as a result the rate of using condoms will increase leading to a reduction in the spread of HIV among people.
Away from the condoms size, another speaker, Gloria Nakawooya, a writer curate campaigns and behaviour change communications noted that there is a need for people to be educated about the proper use of condoms so that they don’t fall into the trap of using condoms with damaged integrity which will in the long run affect their lives.
However, Gloria called upon people not only to look at condoms as away of preventing HIV but even other benefits such as prevention of unwanted pregnancies, prevention of other sexually transmitted diseases and urged people to use them for the good of their health.
In the same way, a team leader from the ‘Tujja Kumalako group’ which supports women and girls who get unwanted pregnancies Birungi Fatuma noted that the women she leads don’t want to use condoms saying they make them dry, they make sex painful and sometimes itch them. She therefore urged government to come out with a campaign to educate the public about the use of condoms and distribute different types of condoms so that people can chose the best types they can use, as this will motivate the public to use them.
This Media Science cafe was organised by the Health Journalists Network Uganda in partnership with the Global advocate for HIV prevention ( AVAC)
