Final Report on Female Condom (FC) Promotion Project

Executive summary

The Female Condom Use Promotion Project started in July 2002. It was aimed at enhancing women’s reproductive and health rights as well as providing support to women living with HIV/AIDS and AIDS orphans through a comfort fund, which was administered at the fevers unit of the Korle-bu teaching hospital.

Even though the main target group was women, the project sought to inform the Ghanaian populace on the advantages of the female condom, emphasizing the dual role of the device as a barrier method against HIV/AIDS, Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and unwanted pregnancies. It is also one method that empowers women by putting them in reasonable control of their reproductive health.

The first major activity was a baseline study to establish the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) relating to the use of the female condom in Ghana. This survey established that awareness about HIV/AIDS as well as personal risk perception is generally high. Knowledge about both male and female condoms was also high as against the usage of condoms. Only 16% of the people interviewed claimed they use female condoms. Advantages of the female condom were also largely unknown to most of the respondents. Issues of mistrust and infidelity were also raised by the study, as many men feared that use of the female condom by their partners would result in promiscuity.

Strategies used in the promotion of the female condom include sensitisation workshops, Training of Trainers to serve as master trainers in the regions, training of selected journalists to enhance reporting of female condom use in the media and training of medical personnel to undertake counseling activities related to the FC. Use was also made of various media options such as puppetry, drama, video shows, posters and leaflets to give out information on the female condom.

Some of the target groups reached were community opinion leaders, uniformed services and their spouses, traders’ unions, market associations and other organized associations such as welfare unions and students groups. The project targeted at least 20% male involvement in all activities to ensure a fair gender representation, however, over 40% male involvement was achieved. Specific programs have been organized for exclusive male groups.

It is interesting to note that at training workshops and advocacy programs most men purchased female condoms most of the time and in large quantities. They felt comfortable buying the condoms and said they would introduce them to their partners. Other activities, which are currently ongoing, are drama, video and puppetry shows to reach grassroots women and their families. The aim is to disseminate information on HIV/AIDS, STDs, unwanted pregnancies as well as any other issues that may be of major concern to the communities in which SWAA is operating.

So far, a total of 127,500 female condoms have been distributed through sales, sensitisation meetings free distribution as well as through other organizations collaborating with SWAA and over 10000 people have been directly reached through training programmes.

Another component of the project was the establishment of a comfort fund at the fevers unit of the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, which is a leading treatment center for People living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The fund was targeted at female paupers who are HIV positive and children who are orphaned by HIV/AIDS. On the whole, renovation and enhancement of existing facilities has been undertaken at the unit and medical supplies have been procured for the unit to create a congenial atmosphere for the medical personnel who run the unit. Over 200 people have benefited from the comfort fund in terms of the provision of drugs, food and reimbursement of transport costs