By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
The United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) country representative in Sierra Leone, Nadia Rashids has called on Sierra Leoneans to end condom usestigmatization.
Briefing the media on 7th February this year at the UNFPA Head Office in Freetown about the International Condom Day commemorative events scheduled from the 14th to 16th February , Rashids called on the public to De- stigmatize condom use, adding that all stereotypes should be challenged.
She went on to say that about only six percent of Sierra Leonean women use condoms as against the twenty percent men, adding that the rate of condom usage in Sierra Leone is low due to what she termed as the barriers to stigmatization.
“Condom uses in Sierra Leone is quite low ,” she added, saying this figure is “mostly” among young unmarried people.
Speaking about the commemoration of the International Condom Day, she said it helps to raise awareness of condom use in public health. “Condom is critical in preventing unwanted pregnancies, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and other sexual transmitted disease,” the UNFPA country representative added, noting that there are barriers to accessing and using condom.
She recalled that they distributed over eight million condoms last year through the Ministry of Health.
In his statement, the Director General of National Aids Secretariat
(NAS), Abdulrahman Sesay maintained that condom use is a “critical” element to public health response in the country, noting its protection and prevention advantages against HIV/Aids and unwanted pregnancies.
“Contraceptives can prevent you from getting unwanted pregnancies, but they can’t prevent you from getting STDs,” Sesay said.
He said they have to break those barriers against condom use stating they should not just rely on condom distribution. “In as much as we are doing community campaigns, educating the public we also need the media to reach out to end the stigma associated to condom use,” the Director General said.
“Condom is the only tool that would protect you from HIV, STDs and unwanted pregnancies’’, said the UNAids country director, Isaac Ahemesah, while he was speaking about the consistent use of condoms.
Ahemesah encouraged married couples and unmarried partners to be using condoms instead of contraceptives.
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