Log on | Register

Forgot password

Testimonial

Female Health Company supports the work of UAFC

The UAFC Joint Programme distributes the female condom in Nigeria and Cameroon. Therefore UAFC also makes use of the FC2 of the Female Health Company (FHC). FHC supports this project by providing the female condoms for a sharply reduced price for the three year run of the programme. Support is also involved in the project by giving input for workshops on Female Condom use in Nigeria and Cameroon.

FC1, the Female Health Company’s (FHC’s) first generation female condom, was introduced into the global market in 1996 and since that time has been marketed in over 120 countries.
fc2_plaatje_fc

 

One of the barriers to increased distribution of FC1 was its cost. FHC responded to this with the development of a second generation female condom, FC2. FC2 is made from a less expensive material, synthetic nitrile rather than the polyurethane of FC1, and through a less capital intensive manufacturing process. However, it maintains equivalence to the first generation female condom in respect to safety, performance and efficacy. 

After a lengthy process and the submission of extensive documentation on its design and performance, the World Health Organization (WHO) judged FC2 acceptable for purchases by United Nations agencies in 2006 and the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved FC2 in March 2009.

Over the last decade, FC1 has become an established product in Africa with an estimated 25 million pieces distributed respectively in Zimbabwe and South Africa alone.  Acceptance and demand for FC1 has been created and maintained by well designed and implemented programmes.  Technical assistance for these programmes has been provided by Support, formerly known as the Global Public Sector Team, on a pro bono basis. Support is funded by The Female Health Company. 


fc_available_here_fhc_400

Support works in countries around the world partnering with governments and other organizations to build effective condom programmes. Their activities are carried out in collaboration with a wide range of international agencies including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

Support’s work in South Africa illustrates the importance of this technical assistance. Since 2003, Support has worked alongside the National Department of Health, all nine of the country’s provincial health departments as well as individual clinics and NGOs on female condom programme planning and implementation.  This work has significantly increased demand for the female condom and ensured that people globally are aware that the provision of female condoms as an added choice of protection to both men and women is a crucial and effective part of STI prevention including HIV and prevention of unintended pregnancies

UAFC lobby paper

UAFC has developed a profound advocacy strategy in order to achieve acces to female condoms for all. For background on this strategy and to strengthen your own lobby activities you have access to this paper.

download the document

Breaking down the barriers!

berlijn_01

Ilze Smit of UAFC Joint Programme presented the session Female Condom Programming and Advocacy: Braking down the Barriers! at the NGO Forum ICPD+15.

read her weblog

see the photo's of the Forum

Trainings in Rwanda

1klein_01

"In our daily work in HIV prevention and even in our sexual and reproductive life sessions with potential users, in trainings and advocay, we talk about female condoms as you can see in these photos. I'm pushing to include FC in our major advocay themes. It recently has been included in the Rwanda National NGO forum on AIDS for the four year strategic plan (2009/2012)," says Fortunée Twiyubahe from ACORD/Oxfam International in Rwanda.

 2klein

UAFC December newsletter is out

newsletter logo
View our newsletter

Knowledge base live

Part of our new website is the revolutionary knowledge base. This is a repository of concepts related to the main theme of UAFC, the female condom. This repository is organized according to themes, geographic location and time. We invite you to start exploring our knowledge base.

If you feel you have anything to contribute don't hesitate to contact us.

ACMS Website

In Cameroon the Association Camerounaise pour le Marketing (ACMS) works on making Female Condoms available to a large usersgroup. ACMS has its own website, with which it reaches especially young people.

Interview with Victoria Archibong, SFH

"I believe the introduction of the male condoms was relatively easier. This could be because it was easier to target men as the “dominant” party in relationships and the ones who will wear the condoms. There was also a lot of support from donors and IPs. The female condom is regarded more as a “woman thing”. Some men may feel threatened as the female condom will empower women in demonstrating their sexual and reproductive health rights. For Female condom programming, programmers have to be more creative and strategic."

read the interview

Related to this item

Related to this location

New on this site

New in this section