Monday, March 08, 2010
Female condom
With HIV/AIDS infections reaching epidemic proportions, the District of Columbia has become the first city in the United States to distribute female condoms. The city plans to make 500,000 available in beauty salons, convenience stores and high schools in neighborhoods with high HIV rates. More than 15,000 people, mostly African American, have been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, and the city’s infection rate is estimated at 3-5% of the local population.
The decision to give out female condoms is seen as an admission that relying on male prophylactics has not worked in stopping the spread of AIDS. Local officials are hoping the change in policy will empower women protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
D.C. to be First U.S. City to Give Away Free Female Condoms to Fight HIV/AIDS (by Darryl Fears, Washington Post)
FHI Research Briefs on the Female Condom — No. 1: Dialogue on the Female Condom: An Overview on Science and Advocacy (Family Health International)
The Female Condom (AVERT)
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