A Program Officer, Reproductive Health and Family Planning for the Pathfinder International, Kosi Izundu has called on women of reproductive age in Nigeria to develop mental positive attitude towards the use of Female Condom (FC2).
Kosi said the consistent use of the FC2 is inevitable because it is the surest way to prevent unwanted pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) including HIV.
She disclosed this during a day FC2 Female Condom Training organised by the Pathfinder International held at E-phonix Hotel, Ilorin, Kwara state capital.
Kosi who spoke on various issues bothering on the use of FC2, said the training was aimed at orientating health workers and other relevant stakeholders including medical students and counsellors on the need to properly educate adolescent and women that fall within age 15 and 49 on the use of FC2 to live a healthy and safer life.
She advised women of reproductive age to see the use of FC2 as their right, saying that FC2 is an improvement over the ordinary FC.
Kosi who spoke on various sub topics such as clarifying myths and misconceptions on FC2, Communication and Counselling for Condom Promotion; and Risk Assessment and Understanding Behavior Change, said the earlier our women embrace FC2 the better for their healthy family.
The Pathfinder International Program officer on Family Planning therefore encouraged service providers in the state to key into the awarness process about FC2, saying that FC2 is safe, pleasurable and risk-free pointing out that it gives room for win-win situation between the two partners.
Declaring the training open, the Director of Public Health, Kwara State Ministry of Health, Dr Fakayode Oluwatosin called for the need to scale up knowledge and awareness about the use of FC2 because of it’s tremendous advantages to the women and society in general.
Dr Fakayode said the constant use of FC2 will drastically reduce mortality rate in the society just as he enjoined all reproductive age women and ladies to embrace the act in the interest of their health and ideal society.
He particularly urged people to stop the habit of paying lip service to the use of female condom saying that it has a lot of advantages such as safer sex, sex confidence and sexual satisfaction.
Dr Fakayode explained that people need to double efforts in accessing FC2 so as to have a safer, enjoyable and loving society.
He thanked Pathfinder International for developing interest in promoting and encouraging wide pread of female condom use in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Kwara State Family Planning Coordinator, Hajia Ibrahim Bilikis advised people to always use FC, saying that it performs dual advantages, which are prevention of unwanted pregnancy and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
The Kwara state Family Coordinator said FC2 has a lot of benefits as it helps in birthspacing, and also prevents cervical cancer, adding that it can be inserted 8 hours before intimacy.
In her presentation, the state Director of Reproductive health,Dr Ibrahim Kafayat emphasised the need for every woman within the reproductive age to cultivate habit of using FC2 to space birth and prevents likelihood of infection associated with sexually transmitted diseases.
Dr Ibrahim noted that every woman has the right to engage in intimacy life pleasurable and safe.
In her presentation at the training, the state HIV Programme Coordinator, Hajia Adetona Muslimat gave a brief presentation on STI, HIV, and Unintended Pregnancy statistics in Kwara state.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Awareness Initiative for Good Living (AIGL), Alhaji Wahab Owolabi advised the participants to endeavour to spread the message to people across the state for the benefit of all.
About 50 participants, made up of health workers, medical students, media, counsellors, Non Governmental Organisations among other relevant stakeholders, were in attendance.
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