Sex workers re-use condoms
Jan 31, 2009
COMMERCIAL sex workers in the city are re-using female condoms to protect themselves from contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
By Charles Ariko
COMMERCIAL sex workers in the city are re-using female condoms to protect themselves from contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
This revelation was made Thursday by the programme assistant for the Global Coalition of Women Against AIDS in Uganda. She was at a female condom stakeholders meeting at Hotel Equatoria, Kampala.
Molly Basimaki said during their meetings with them, the sex workers said they insert the condoms before conducting their business. The sex workers said they have little time between clients to discard the used condoms.
Basimaki added that some sex workers also cited the cost of the female condom for re-using them.
“Some of these prostitutes said they insert the condom in the morning which they use throughout the night with different men,†Basimaki said.
The meeting, which was convened by the Ministry of Health and Population Services International, was aimed at establishing how best to market female condoms.
Basimaki added that the prostitutes said they resorted to female condoms because some of their clients prefer to have unprotected sex.
Vasta Kibirige, the coordinator of the condom unit in the Ministry Of Health said re-using condoms was a dangerous practice. “That is why we are trying to find solutions on making the female condom available at a small cost,†Kibirige said.
He explained that a female condom should not be inserted for more than eight hours.
“Having it in beyond eight hours is not advisable because a person might develop side effects,†Kibirige said.
Anthony Mbonye, the assistant commissioner in-charge of reproductive health, said the ministry was procuring condoms and more female ones would be bought depending on the demand.
Kibirige said there were 100,000 female condoms in the country, compared to 27 million for males.
COMMERCIAL sex workers in the city are re-using female condoms to protect themselves from contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
This revelation was made Thursday by the programme assistant for the Global Coalition of Women Against AIDS in Uganda. She was at a female condom stakeholders meeting at Hotel Equatoria, Kampala.
Molly Basimaki said during their meetings with them, the sex workers said they insert the condoms before conducting their business. The sex workers said they have little time between clients to discard the used condoms.
Basimaki added that some sex workers also cited the cost of the female condom for re-using them.
“Some of these prostitutes said they insert the condom in the morning which they use throughout the night with different men,†Basimaki said.
The meeting, which was convened by the Ministry of Health and Population Services International, was aimed at establishing how best to market female condoms.
Basimaki added that the prostitutes said they resorted to female condoms because some of their clients prefer to have unprotected sex.
Vasta Kibirige, the coordinator of the condom unit in the Ministry Of Health said re-using condoms was a dangerous practice. “That is why we are trying to find solutions on making the female condom available at a small cost,†Kibirige said.
He explained that a female condom should not be inserted for more than eight hours.
“Having it in beyond eight hours is not advisable because a person might develop side effects,†Kibirige said.
Anthony Mbonye, the assistant commissioner in-charge of reproductive health, said the ministry was procuring condoms and more female ones would be bought depending on the demand.
Kibirige said there were 100,000 female condoms in the country, compared to 27 million for males.