Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana to get cheaper female condoms

As part of the programme to increase access to protective measures against HIV/AIDS virus infection to women, Indian government will widen the cheaper female condom distribution to more states.

The Rs 3.50-a piece female condoms will be now dispersed to nine more states Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana, Punjab, Assam, UP, MP and Chhattisgarh in India through National Aids Control Organisation (NACO).

Currently, the cheaper female condoms are being supplied to commercial social workers in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Rajasthan.

NACO has already supplied 1.5 million female condoms since 2008 when it started the programme.

NACO buys female condoms over Rs 20 a piece from Hindustan Latex Limited (HLL), but provides them to female sex workers (FSW) for only Rs 3.50 each.

Nearly 50% of the 1.7 lakh fresh cases of HIV reported annually in India are women, reports said. Related: Female condoms at a price of Rs 3.50!

A year-long pre-programme acceptability and feasibility study since November 2006, involving 60,000 women across 13 sites — 11 involving high-risk groups like sex workers and two family planning programmes — in eight states had found that 60% women were re-purchasing condoms and over 98% of the users enjoyed the comfort level.

The objective to promote female condoms is to empower FSWs to convince their clients or regular partners to use condoms, and address concern regarding unwillingness of male partner to use condom, according to NACO director-general K Chandramouli.

The female condom programme was implemented through select NGOs in six states. The results from the pre-programme assessment indicated high levels of acceptance of female condoms among sex workers and around 5% reduction in unprotected intercourse.

Experts say when male partner refuses to use a condom, women need such self-initiated methods to protect themselves against unplanned pregnancies and HIV/AIDS. Related: Female condom brands in India

India has been importing female condoms till recently. The imported female comdoms are very costly.

NACO has announced a major expansion of its Condom Social Marketing Programme (CSMP) to run under the aegis of the National AIDS Control Programme III (NACP-III) and cover nearly 80 per cent of the national population.

Through CSMP-III, NACO will increase the coverage area to 370 districts spread across 26 States & union territories f
rom 294 districts last year.

The total condom volume target set by NACP III is more than 480 million condoms through 8 lakh outlets compared to 320 million condom volume targets through 5 lakh outlets of CSMP-II.

CSMP-III also targets 93 per cent of the 1300 Targeted Interventions of NACO – which represents the most concentrated areas of highest-risk groups, according to a release.