MOH says that female condoms are the most unpopular contraceptive in Kenya.
Peter Mogere says the cost is also a barrier as it costs Sh200 per unit, compared to male condoms which cost Sh 50 or less.
• IUD use was 3.9 percent, followed by emergency contraception at 1.6 percent while female condoms were the smallest method of contraception used at 0.8 percent.
Female Condom: This is the best barrier method that no one wants to use.
The female condom has not grown in popularity in Kenya for almost 20 years after it was introduced into the country.
Recent data from the Ministry of Health shows that it is the most unwanted method of contraception, despite its effectiveness in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
Last year, only 5,800 units were distributed to health facilities across the country, mainly in Nairobi, according to the ministry’s data analysis platform, which includes information from all health facilities.
By comparison, more than 100 million pieces of male condoms are used in Kenya each year.
The female condom was introduced in Kenya in the late 1990s as a game changer and gave women the ability to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.
It acts as a popular male condom by preventing the exchange of semen and vaginal fluids during sexual intercourse.
The biggest challenge is how to use it and where to find it. Government or partner advocacy does not exist, ”explains Peter Mogere, a health research advocacy and co-ordinator of the Kemri Partners in Health and Development Research.
Mogere says cost is also a barrier as it costs Sh200 per piece, compared to male condoms that cost Sh50 or less.
“Some women say they are worried. Some say men complain that it makes noise, ”he says.
Data from the Ministry of Health’s Reproductive and Reproductive Services Unit lists under existing contraceptive methods.
Last year, injections were the most common method of contraception used by 54.1 percent of all women who use contraception, followed by the male condom by 13.8%, implants by 13% and the pill by 12., 7%.
IUD use was 3.9 percent, followed by emergency contraception at 1.6 percent while female condoms were used at only 0.8 percent.
Mohammed Sheikh, director general of the National Council for Population and Development, said the use of modern contraceptives has helped reduce the birth rate in the country over the past decade, from 4.6 to 3.4 children per woman between 2009 and 2020, and significant differences between counties.
“These inequalities pose a risk of holding back the progress made by Kenya in facilitating access to modern family planning.
Contraceptive methods such as female condoms are recommended for all couples, especially those who need temporary contraceptive methods.
This may be because they do not have normal sex with their partners, that they are waiting for the use of another method, or as a duplicate of another method.
Condoms are also recommended for protection against sexually transmitted diseases.
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