Female condoms to be launched next week

Kumasi, May 17, GNA - Mr Kojo Lokko, Chief Technical Officer (Operations) of the Ghana Social Marketing Foundation (GSMF) on Tuesday noted that Pharmacists should be involved in the counselling of clients on health service delivery.

He said statistics indicate that about 50,000 cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were reported to pharmacists in Accra within one year for counselling.

Mr Lokko was speaking at a pre-introductory seminar on the use of female condoms (Femidom) for pharmacists in the Ashanti Region in Kumasi. He announced that the female condoms would be officially launched in Accra on Thursday, May 25.

Mr Lokko pointed out that such seminars are to introduce the product to pharmacists, who would man the main outlet for sale to the public. He said that for the first quarter of the year, the use of condoms by men increased to over 70 per cent as against the same period last year adding, "50 per cent of those who used condom liked it while there was 70 per cent acceptability in women".

He expressed the hope that the female condoms would be given the same patronage to reduce the high incidence of the AIDS pandemic in the country which now has one out of every 20 people being HIV positive.

The female condoms would sell at 300 cedis. Mr Lokko cautioned that both the male and female condoms should not be used at the same time.