When it clicks and it fits, it's as good as natural!

Published on 2009-11-09 by Monique Demenint

This we reported during recent duty trip to Nigeria, for Interpersonal Communication Conductors, during a feedback session on their training activities. INtroduction of the female condoms is not possible without using  context and culture specific communication skills and materials. This is the experience of the people working on the ground. Society of Family Health (SFH) Nigeria has recruited so-called Interpersonal Communication Conductors, that take the female condoms message to their peers in their communities or among their colleagues or their clients. In this particular session in Lagos City, some 15 women and 2 men shared their experiences. They mostly work as hair dressers or traders and are very focal and open to discuss any issues women and men may have using female condoms. 

They are also very open to discuss their personal involvement, as one lady was explaining that for the last 10 years she has been living HIV positive and that she has finally convinced her husband to let her use female condoms. Others join in the sharing and explain that it works well ' not to tell your husband, the first time you are using it'. When he has experienced it, chances are he will not object.

The feedback session was short, as the personal communication conductors wanted us to see them at work. So they took us outside, where a group of mostly women were being trained as future caterers. They were unprepared, when one of the conductors interrupted their training and for something comepletely different, took over with a female condom demonstration. This caused hilarious responses, but as the conductor kept on talking and sharing her experience the ladies became interested. Some were asking about the price and availability.

At this very moment, in the Lagos SFH wharehouse temporary workers are working 9 hours a day to pack female condoms in so-called displayers. These are nice looking bigger boxes which will be transported to the actual wholesalers and through them to the shops, pharmacies and other oulets. So the conductors are now ready to sell female condoms straight away and refer ladies and men to shops near by where they can get them. Price for the consumer in Nigeria is 0,13 euro cents for a packet of two. This makes female condoms 2.5 time more expensive than male condoms. In December 2009 an other batch of 600.000 female condoms is expected in Lagos.

As the SFH manager in the wharehouse in Lagos explained: Nigeria is ready for female condoms!

You need to login or register to leave a comment

No comments submitted so far