ABOUT half of Swakopmund's shebeens that receive a free supply of condoms from NGOs in an attempt to fight the spread of HIV are selling them to customers - sometimes for as much as N$8 per packet of four.
According to a recent survey by the Swakopmund District AIDS Committee (DAC), about 50 per cent of those who answered a questionnaire on condom supply, availability and distribution indicated that they sold the condoms to users.
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Zimbabwe: Safe Sex Should Begin With the Young
Looking around and seeing the number of young girls who are falling pregnant as well as the large number of unplanned and unwanted babies that people have, at times adults, who society expects to know better, show that there is need for more work to be done around educating each other about the importance of safe practices.
Discussing reproductive health issues with friends on the sidelines of a population and development media network organised by the UNFPA in Gweru recently some journalists asked: "Should we start giving condoms to our youths in schools and colleges?"
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Of course, this drew gasps of disbelief and howls of protest from everyone in the group who agreed that this would not happen in this country in a hundred years for it meant saying to the youths "it is okay, you can go ahead and have sex, as long as you use condoms".
Discussing reproductive health issues with friends on the sidelines of a population and development media network organised by the UNFPA in Gweru recently some journalists asked: "Should we start giving condoms to our youths in schools and colleges?"
GA_googleFillSlot("AllAfrica_Story_Inset");
Of course, this drew gasps of disbelief and howls of protest from everyone in the group who agreed that this would not happen in this country in a hundred years for it meant saying to the youths "it is okay, you can go ahead and have sex, as long as you use condoms".
Saturday, 27 October 2007
WALTHAM FOREST: Warning over fake condoms
COUNTERFEIT condoms which do not provide an effective barrier to pregnancy and disease may be on sale in Waltham Forest, Trading Standards officers have warned.
The alarm was raised by a member of the public in Hackney who reported that the condoms he bought were smaller than usual, not lubricated and had a dry texture.
A total of 1,500 boxes of the fakes were subsequently seized. As a result there are fears that the condoms may be on sale in Waltham Forest and other neighbouring boroughs.
The fakes that have been identified as three-packs of Durex Extra Safe, Arouser, Ribbed, Performa, Gossamer, Select and Fetherlite. Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Corporate Director for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration at Hackney Council said: "These fake boxes of Durex appear to be pretty good copies, in that the packaging is quite similar to the real product.
"Anyone who has bought these brands, especially from independent shops and supermarkets should carefully check the products.
"Obviously, this discovery is very important, as counterfeit condoms do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases properly, and nor are they an effective contraceptive".
Managing Director of Durex, Martyn Ward, said: "As an international company with a high quality brand, Durex, like many other global businesses, is targeted by counterfeiters. We take incidents like this very seriously indeed and adopt a proactive and robust approach towards combating counterfeiters anywhere in the world. We are currently investigating these issues further.
"Durex would like to stress that there are small numbers of counterfeit condoms on the market and you are unlikely to be affected.
"As a precaution, the brand is urging users to check batch numbers on the packaging of affected varieties.
"If any of the above codes appear on packaging, it is highly likely that these are not genuine Durex condoms.
He added: "We advise consumers not to use them, as we cannot be sure of their safety."
Consumers with any queries are being advised to contact the Durex Careline on 0800 338 739 or Hackney Trading Standards on 020 8356 4929 and Waltham Forest Trading Standards on 08454 04 05 06.
The alarm was raised by a member of the public in Hackney who reported that the condoms he bought were smaller than usual, not lubricated and had a dry texture.
A total of 1,500 boxes of the fakes were subsequently seized. As a result there are fears that the condoms may be on sale in Waltham Forest and other neighbouring boroughs.
The fakes that have been identified as three-packs of Durex Extra Safe, Arouser, Ribbed, Performa, Gossamer, Select and Fetherlite. Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Corporate Director for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration at Hackney Council said: "These fake boxes of Durex appear to be pretty good copies, in that the packaging is quite similar to the real product.
"Anyone who has bought these brands, especially from independent shops and supermarkets should carefully check the products.
"Obviously, this discovery is very important, as counterfeit condoms do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases properly, and nor are they an effective contraceptive".
Managing Director of Durex, Martyn Ward, said: "As an international company with a high quality brand, Durex, like many other global businesses, is targeted by counterfeiters. We take incidents like this very seriously indeed and adopt a proactive and robust approach towards combating counterfeiters anywhere in the world. We are currently investigating these issues further.
"Durex would like to stress that there are small numbers of counterfeit condoms on the market and you are unlikely to be affected.
"As a precaution, the brand is urging users to check batch numbers on the packaging of affected varieties.
"If any of the above codes appear on packaging, it is highly likely that these are not genuine Durex condoms.
He added: "We advise consumers not to use them, as we cannot be sure of their safety."
Consumers with any queries are being advised to contact the Durex Careline on 0800 338 739 or Hackney Trading Standards on 020 8356 4929 and Waltham Forest Trading Standards on 08454 04 05 06.
Council condoms for children in care
Children in care could be offered condoms under proposals due to be approved by county councillors. New guidelines, which have to be approved by Lancashire County Council, will set out "very restricted circumstances" in which carers can give young people contraception and pregnancy testing kits.County Hall bosses state that the move is designed to cut down on teenage pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections and they stress the carers will receive advance training.County Coun Marcus Johnstone, cabinet member for children and young people, said the county council acted as a "corporate parent" of young people in its care.He said: "This means we must seek for them everything that a good parent would want for their own children."
Friday, 12 October 2007
Free condoms to cut teen pregnancies
CONDOM cards are now available to young people, giving them access to free contraceptives.
Gravesham Council has been working in partnership with independent community youth charity The Beat Project to help reduce teenage pregnancy rates in the borough.
People aged under 19 can register for a card at one of two Gravesham registration points.
Youngsters can register on the second floor of Gravesend Community Hospital's west wing, in Bath Street, or the Children, Families and Education Adolescent Resource Centre, in Manor Road, Gravesend.
The anonymous registration takes 15 minutes and includes a demonstration on how to put a condom on safely.
The cardholder can then visit one of 45 access points around Kent, including Gravesend Community Hospital, to collect a pack of free condoms after showing the card. It can be used 20 times before re-registration is required.
Gravesham Council has been working in partnership with independent community youth charity The Beat Project to help reduce teenage pregnancy rates in the borough.
People aged under 19 can register for a card at one of two Gravesham registration points.
Youngsters can register on the second floor of Gravesend Community Hospital's west wing, in Bath Street, or the Children, Families and Education Adolescent Resource Centre, in Manor Road, Gravesend.
The anonymous registration takes 15 minutes and includes a demonstration on how to put a condom on safely.
The cardholder can then visit one of 45 access points around Kent, including Gravesend Community Hospital, to collect a pack of free condoms after showing the card. It can be used 20 times before re-registration is required.
Free condoms to cut teen pregnancies
CONDOM cards are now available to young people, giving them access to free contraceptives.
Gravesham Council has been working in partnership with independent community youth charity The Beat Project to help reduce teenage pregnancy rates in the borough.
People aged under 19 can register for a card at one of two Gravesham registration points.
Youngsters can register on the second floor of Gravesend Community Hospital's west wing, in Bath Street, or the Children, Families and Education Adolescent Resource Centre, in Manor Road, Gravesend.
The anonymous registration takes 15 minutes and includes a demonstration on how to put a condom on safely.
The cardholder can then visit one of 45 access points around Kent, including Gravesend Community Hospital, to collect a pack of free condoms after showing the card. It can be used 20 times before re-registration is required.
Gravesham Council has been working in partnership with independent community youth charity The Beat Project to help reduce teenage pregnancy rates in the borough.
People aged under 19 can register for a card at one of two Gravesham registration points.
Youngsters can register on the second floor of Gravesend Community Hospital's west wing, in Bath Street, or the Children, Families and Education Adolescent Resource Centre, in Manor Road, Gravesend.
The anonymous registration takes 15 minutes and includes a demonstration on how to put a condom on safely.
The cardholder can then visit one of 45 access points around Kent, including Gravesend Community Hospital, to collect a pack of free condoms after showing the card. It can be used 20 times before re-registration is required.
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Safe sex could save world, professor says
The stability of the world depends on safe sex, according to a Boston University demographer who addressed the future of human population last night at the School of Management.The world's population affects and is affected by culture, economy and environment, said Joel Cohen, a visiting professor at the Boston University Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future.Cohen said there are many things people can do now to reduce future overpopulation, including being aware of fertility and giving others access to contraception, such as condoms.
I'd like a car loan and 20 condoms, please
BANGKOK (Reuters Life!) - A Thai bank is pitching into the battle against HIV/AIDS and handing out condoms to customers too shy to get them at the shop.
Despite Bangkok's reputation as one of the world's sex industry centers, Thailand is a generally conservative country.
Kasikorn Bank launched the "Condoms for Confidence" campaign at 600 branches nationwide and said it would start giving out the sheaths, branded K-Condom and K-Excellence, later this month.
"HIV/AIDS is returning to Thailand since the government awareness campaign started 20 years ago has fizzled out," said a bank spokesman who declined to be identified.
"We want the teenagers to be aware of the problem."
Despite a tenfold plunge of overall new HIV/AIDS cases from 15 years ago, the health ministry has said it was concerned about the numbers of teenagers and homosexuals still being infected.
Disease Control Department chief Thawat Suntrajarn said embarrassment about buying condoms and ignorance in using them were the main causes of the new cases.
Despite Bangkok's reputation as one of the world's sex industry centers, Thailand is a generally conservative country.
Kasikorn Bank launched the "Condoms for Confidence" campaign at 600 branches nationwide and said it would start giving out the sheaths, branded K-Condom and K-Excellence, later this month.
"HIV/AIDS is returning to Thailand since the government awareness campaign started 20 years ago has fizzled out," said a bank spokesman who declined to be identified.
"We want the teenagers to be aware of the problem."
Despite a tenfold plunge of overall new HIV/AIDS cases from 15 years ago, the health ministry has said it was concerned about the numbers of teenagers and homosexuals still being infected.
Disease Control Department chief Thawat Suntrajarn said embarrassment about buying condoms and ignorance in using them were the main causes of the new cases.
Monday, 1 October 2007
Africa: UNAIDS Head Puts the Spotlight on Children and Teens
The executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is urging action as concerns the transmission of HIV to children through sexual abuse, incest and early teenage sex.
Many outreach programmes target HIV-positive pregnant women and young children, and progress is being made in this arena, Peter Piot told IPS during a recent conference at Harvard Medical School in the eastern U.S. city of Boston.
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But, "There is more than mother-to-child transmission, much more. This is neglected and is even a cover up."
"We should not put our heads in the sand We must prevent new HIV infections."
Lack of attention to these difficulties especially affects girls and women, who now account for nearly half of those infected with HIV, about 48 percent. In 2006, an estimated 17.7 million women worldwide had HIV, according to the 2006 World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAIDS annual AIDS Epidemic Update.
Females are more likely to be abused and engage in unwanted sex due to gender inequality in education, property rights and sexual relationships, Piot said. "Girls are so much more vulnerable to HIV."
More and more women are being infected with HIV worldwide, causing a "feminisation" of the pandemic, he added, noting that this was especially true in Africa, where nearly 60 percent of those with HIV are women, compared to about 50 percent worldwide.
In sub-Saharan Africa, about 75 percent of people 15-24 years old with HIV are female, according to a 2007 WHO report.
Many outreach programmes target HIV-positive pregnant women and young children, and progress is being made in this arena, Peter Piot told IPS during a recent conference at Harvard Medical School in the eastern U.S. city of Boston.
GA_googleFillSlot("AllAfrica_Story_Inset");
But, "There is more than mother-to-child transmission, much more. This is neglected and is even a cover up."
"We should not put our heads in the sand We must prevent new HIV infections."
Lack of attention to these difficulties especially affects girls and women, who now account for nearly half of those infected with HIV, about 48 percent. In 2006, an estimated 17.7 million women worldwide had HIV, according to the 2006 World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAIDS annual AIDS Epidemic Update.
Females are more likely to be abused and engage in unwanted sex due to gender inequality in education, property rights and sexual relationships, Piot said. "Girls are so much more vulnerable to HIV."
More and more women are being infected with HIV worldwide, causing a "feminisation" of the pandemic, he added, noting that this was especially true in Africa, where nearly 60 percent of those with HIV are women, compared to about 50 percent worldwide.
In sub-Saharan Africa, about 75 percent of people 15-24 years old with HIV are female, according to a 2007 WHO report.
Bollywood packs safe sex lesson in new film
MUMBA (Reuters Life!) - After handling mature themes like marital blues and surrogate motherhood, Bollywood is making a film on teenage pregnancy, a sign that more serious scripts are becoming popular with viewers.
"Tere Sang" (With You), to be directed by Satish Kaushik, aims to inform viewers about unsafe sex and raise the issue of providing sex education, especially to Indian youth.
Sex education in largely conservative India is a moral flashpoint, with educators saying such knowledge will reduce HIV rates and critics fearing it will corrupt young minds.
"It tells the viewers how a romance between a 17-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl takes a dramatic turn when the girl accidentally becomes pregnant," said Kaushik.
"Tere Sang" (With You), to be directed by Satish Kaushik, aims to inform viewers about unsafe sex and raise the issue of providing sex education, especially to Indian youth.
Sex education in largely conservative India is a moral flashpoint, with educators saying such knowledge will reduce HIV rates and critics fearing it will corrupt young minds.
"It tells the viewers how a romance between a 17-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl takes a dramatic turn when the girl accidentally becomes pregnant," said Kaushik.
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Caution!
Standing together for the fight against sexual transmitted infections amongst young people
Education is the key
Don't be under influence, be original
Protection, a way of life
A better way to have piece of mind
Speak to someone
Walk don't Run, " i am a fragile person, i put a very hard exterior because of what's inside"
Don't ride over the edge
Keeping the Promise, one person is infected with HIV every 6.4 second
"Nobody has a body to die for"
Supporting people with HIV and Aids
Condoms the "essential wear"
The Way Forward
Policies
"In a few years time buying condom will be like buying a pack of chewing gums"
