‘Female condom empowers women’
The Ministry of Health says despite the country having high female condom knowledge levels, women still shun using them.
Director of HIV and Aids Marriam Mangochi said this at a two-day female condom training of trainers training last week.
She observed that women and girls can only be empowered sexually and avoid other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including unwanted pregnancies, if they are well conversant with the female condom.
“The female condom is not noisy and certainly cannot slide through to the stomach, all these are myths, and I am sure this project in dispelling these that are still being echoed in a lot of corners across the country,” she said.
Mangochi said women face a lot of sexuality-related challenges which can only be dealt with by increasing awareness on the use of the female condom.
The Hunger Project country director Rowlands Kaotcha said the training has been done in such a way that there is a representative in each distinct for effective delivery and comprehensive awareness on the use of female condoms.
“The participants that have been trained will be champions in creating the comprehensive awareness on the use of female condoms, thereby advocating for behavioural change that is needed, all these trainers will be supporting our health sectors as they will be available in each and every district,” he said.
The training organised by the Hunger Project, which is being done in partnership with Family Planning Association of Malawi (Fpam), Youth Net and Counseling (Yoneco) and Church and Society under the Livingstonia CCAP Synod, attracted 15 participants from across the country.
