Chocolate City spearheads female condom advocacy

Chocolate City, the record label home to artistes Ice Prince, M.I, DJ Caise, Pryse, Nosa, Victoria Kimani and Dice Ailes, created some awareness for the use of female condom as part of activities commemorating the 2014 Global Female Condom Day.

Last year, thousands of individuals and nearly 250 organisations from 54 countries participated, with sexual health and reproductive justice advocates all over the world dancing to demonstrate demand for female condoms.

Partner organisations will organize various activities to highlight this highly effective sexual health tool, the only HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STI) and pregnancy-prevention option that is woman-initiated and currently available.

In a couple of tweets, Chocolate City threw more light on the use of the female condom and provided answers to possible questions some women may have.

Stating the need for hygiene while placing the female condom, the music label wrote: “With clean hands, carefully insert the closed end of the female condom.

“The female condom reduces the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Stay safe. Female condoms are really effective.”

As a way of allaying fears about the condom, the music label asked and answered: “Is the female condom difficult to use? No, but it does require practice and patience.

“Can female condoms effectively prevent both pregnancy and STIs, including HIV? Yes.

“Can a female condom & male condom be used at the same time? No. They should not be used together.

“Can the female condom be used more than once? Reuse of the female condom is not recommended.

“Can the female condom be used while a woman is having her monthly period? Yes, it can.

“Can a female condom get lost inside a woman’s body? No.”

The female condom is still very unpopular in Nigeria and is often overlooked. A great percentage of Nigerian women still don’t understand the importance of the female condom and many are yet to even come across one.

According to  World Health Organization, WHO, when used consistently and correctly, female condoms are just as effective as male condoms.