Use condoms-Malawian women told

Women in the district of Chiradzuru in southern Malawi have been asked to sexually empower themselves using female condoms.
District AIDS Coordinator for the district, Chris Nawaka made the request to the women through state controlled Malawi News Agency (MANA) last week saying female condoms can protect women from contracting HIV and AIDS if they use them.
“Women and girls should now feel safer with the introduction of female condoms on the market because if they don’t trust a man, they will be free to use a female condom when having sex”, said Nawata during female condom promotion campaign by Chipere Community Based Organization (CBO) Chiradzuru adding,“Apart from using the female condom as a means for preventing HIV infections, it’s also important as a family tool.”
Nawata further praised United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for funding the CBO to conduct the female condom promotion campaign.
According to a study by the United Development Programme (UNDP) in Malawi female condoms promotion has received less attention and their use has been minimal.
“They [female condoms] are expensive than male condoms and consequently, have not been readily available. This discourages their use and places women at higher risk of infection, especially for those unable to persuade their partners to use male condoms,” reads the research report in part.
It adds that other factors contributing to low female condom use in Malawian society where women also lack the courage to negotiate with men before engaging in sex on religious and cultural grounds include inadequate knowledge, poor attitudes about what constitutes sexual pleasure and the association of condom use with promiscuity and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).