CWIDI calls for increase in awareness and access to female condoms in Nigeria during the 2018 Global Female Condom Day




September 16th of every year is called the day of the female condom. This day is set aside to create awareness and increase the discussion on access and use of the female condom as well as break the barriers surrounding the access to the female condom.

Adolescents and young people especially girls and women have an unmet sexual health need requiring advocates to raise their voices and increase awareness. It is the right of young people to make choices of which method of contraceptives and protection they prefer and are suitable for them. This choices should be healthy and informed by access to the right information.

In order to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted, girls and women should be able to have access to needed protection irrespective of their socioeconomic class or sexual orientation. Girls and women experience a lot of sexual and reproductive health issues thus, it is crucial that they are included in policies, plans and preventive measures against STI’s. These girls and women are the ones that are affected by the consequences of unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and infection by sexually transmitted diseases such as school dropout, prolonged hospital stay.

Among the effective preventive measures to the above consequences, is the use of female condoms. It closes the gap in the contraceptive needs of girls and women. Also, it serves the dual protective role of protection against STIs and unwanted pregnancies. With these benefits, it should be made readily and easily available and accessible to young people especially girls and young women.

There are barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in Nigeria including use of female condoms. That is why on this 2018 global female condom day, we call on government, SRH advocates, health workers, schools and the media to work collaboratively to raise awareness and increase access to female condoms and other SRH services for young people in Nigeria. It’s their rights to know and have access to these sexual and reproductive health services. On our part, CWIDI is using this medium to educate young people on the importance of correct and consistent use of female condoms. Also, we are conducting outreaches in Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where we are providing young people with information on condom use and other sexual reproductive health information.  #YouthSexReprodHealth #StoriesOfAdvocacy #GFCD2018, #FemaleCondoms #FC2018 #FC #GlobalFemaleCondomDay2018

Written by Concern Women International Development Initiative (CWIDI)

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