Packs of condoms
By Allieu Sahid Tunkara
Deputy chief medical officer at the ministry of health and sanitation has said that the outbreak of the Ebola virus continues to affect family planning, causing a massive drop in condom use since July.
Dr. Sarian Kamara told a press conference on Tuesday at King Herman Road in Freetown that: “In the period between May and June this year 2,400 males went for condoms, but in July nobody went for a single condom”.
She claimed that people had stopped going for condoms because they were scared that it would raise suspicion, adding that: “this has resulted in increase of unprotected sex which can lead to many unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases”.
The medical officer also observed that the situation had posed a serious challenge to women who were also afraid to go to the hospitals for delivery for fear that they might be associated with Ebola.
“They prefer to deliver their babies at home. Between May and June deliveries in health facilities was at 16,245 and between June and July it dropped to 13, 600,” Kamara said.
She feared that the outbreak could continue to adversely affect the entire reproductive health system in the country because the sex life of Sierra Leoneans had still not been controlled despite medical warnings against body contacts.
Dr Kamara further stated that about 80% of Ebola cases had resulted from unauthorized burials, and 33% from funerals. She appealed to the public to refrain from such practices so that the country could contain the virus.
National coordinator for the Sierra Leone association of nongovernmental organizations, Shellace Davies, warned the public to go hospitals immediately they suspected Ebola symptoms.
She said those who refused to go to hospitals earlier could easily spread the disease to their family members and that could “wipe out an entire family.”
(C) Politico 23/10/14
