Pilot study on female condom acceptability

November 15, 2006

Govt planning pilot study on female condom acceptability

NEW DELHI: Government is planning a pilot study soon to examine

acceptability of the female condom before including it in the

national programmes of family planning and AIDS control.

" It is a pilot project to study whether people will accept it. The

study will be conducted in six states among sex workers and married

couples to get their response, " a senior official of the National

Aids Control Organisation (NACO) told PTI today.

The study will be given a final approval by the Technical Advisory

Panel of NACO next week.

Though the female condom is sold in the market, it is not widely

popular as the male condoms are with the main reason being its cost.

A pack of two is sold for Rs 200.

But for the study it will be available for Rs 5.

The states where this study will be conducted include Tamil Nadu,

Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka -- with significant HIV

infected -- and Gujarat.

West Bengal, which falls under the highly vulnerable category, will

also be part of the study.

A total of 3,400 sex workers will try these condoms to check their

efficacy in controlling HIV infection, while 200 married couples in

Lucknow and Jaipur will use them as a contraceptive.

" We have selected 13 NGOs to distribute them. The female condom will

not be a replacment for the male condom. We just want to empower

women so that they are in a position to use them if their male

partners choose not to use protection. Also, a woman is better armed

if she uses a female condom against HIV infection, " he said.

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