Condom Day to target youths, migrants

KATHMANDU, Oct 18 - In a bid to promote condom use, the National Center for Aids and STD Control (NCASC), HIV/AIDS and STD Control Board and Nepal Red Cross Society are jointly celebrating Saturday October 18 as 14 the Condom Day."Only a proper use of condom plays dual role of ...

...birth intervals and protecting against HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases," said Umesh Prasad Dhakal, executive director of Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) at a press meet organised by Health Journalists’ Association of Nepal in the capital Friday. "The day is a special event designed to reach young people, migrants and other vulnerable groups about the benefits of condom.

According to Nepal Demographic Health Survey (DHS) 2006, Nepal's current population increase rate is 2.16 percent. "Contraceptive use among adolescents is as low as 14 percent," says the DHS.

Twenty-one percent of adolescent girls aged 15-19 years are mothers or pregnant with their first child, says the survey. One of several reasons for decreased maternal and child mortality in the country is due to increasing trend of condom use. Increased use of condom use also means women conceiving less number of times, which automatically means fewer deaths, the DHS has said.

According to NRCS, condom use has consistently increased among sex workers. Condom use among female sex workers increased from 74 percent in 2004, to 77.2 percent in 2006, a report of the NCASC shows.

Using condom is the best means to be protected from getting infected with HIV. According to NCASC about 70,000 people in the country are infected with HIV.

Speaking at the press meet, Dhakal said the NRCS has been providing contraceptives at subsidised price. Of the total demand in the country, it alone meets 35 percent. "We distribute 10.34 million condoms annually through 1,700 outlets," he said.

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