Jalna Broderick, Contributor WHEN I was asked to write this article, I sat down and asked myself the questions: what information do women have about contraceptives and HIV/AIDS? Are they really protecting themselves? Do women know their risks?
I decided to ask a few persons what they knew about the matter.
On one of my trips to pay a utility bill, I decided to ask my customer service representative what she knew about HIV/AIDS and contraceptives. A well-spoken woman, she seemed to be in her late 20s or early 30s. She has been married for a number of years and has never cheated on her husband. She believes that he is faithful to her.
Her contraceptive of choice is the 'pill'. She told me she does not use condoms because she does not like them. I asked if she had ever discussed HIV/AIDS with her husband. "I spoke to him just recently and told him if he was stepping out on me, to tell me, so I could protect myself," she said.
I spoke to another lady, whom I met while waiting for a taxi. She is a 34-year-old mother of two. Her comment was: "Mi use di pill an a condom some time. But mi can't catch dat (HIV). A one burner mi deh pon."
TROUBLING
The common thread in the responses of these two women is that their being monogamous provides some form of protection from HIV. Of course, in thinking like this, these women must assume that their partners are also being faithful. In other words, they are trusting their health and well-being to someone else.
If the responses of these two women are typical of how many women perceive their risk of contracting HIV, then the society is in trouble. These responses suggest that some women are thinking that they are safe when what they may, in fact, be setting up themselves for is 'closing the barn door after the horse has run away'.
Women of child-bearing age (18-40) are twice as likely as their male counterparts to test positive for HIV/AIDS.
The main purpose of contraceptives is the prevention of pregnancy. There are many types available: oral contraceptive (the pill), intrauterine device (IUD), the sponge, the cervical cap, the diaphragm, injection, male and female condom, and so on. However, only two of these contraceptive methods effectively block the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These methods are:
The male condom, also known as 'boots', 'rubbers', 'French letter'
The female condom, which is a fairly new product to the Jamaican market. When used correctly, the male condom prevents the mixing of bodily fluids, that is, semen, blood and vaginal secretions, of one partner with those of the other. This makes it ideal as a birth control method and as a means of preventing the transmission of HIV.
FEMALE CONDOMS
The female condom has similar benefits. In fact, its design makes it ideal for birth control and the prevention of transmission of HIV and other STIs. The closed end of the female condom has a flexible ring that is inserted into the vagina, up to eight hours before sexual intercourse, while the open end remains partly outside the vagina. The internal part of this device conforms to the woman's body, giving her maximum comfort and protection. The part outside the body covers the labia and clitoris and gives added protection from STIs such as genital herpes, syphilis and genital warts. The female condom should never be used at the same time your partner is using a male condom.
Condoms should always be used in addition to any other form of birth control such as the pill. In this way, a woman is made safe not only from unplanned pregnancy but also from a sexually transmitted infection. Care should be taken not to use oil-based lubricants (petroleum jelly, lotions, or baby oil) with condoms as they can weaken the material.
One group I have not addressed is that comprising women over the age of 40. There has been a marked increase in the number of these women testing positive for HIV. Many women in this age group have never used condoms because, in most cases, they have been in committed long-term relationships and have never thought they needed to raise the subject. Some may have recently realised that their partner has been unfaithful and others may have been recently divorced and are back in the dating world, with little clue about what their risks are.
These women must become more familiar with both male and female condoms so they can protect themselves. For information on condom use and HIV/ AIDS, please contact any of the three chapters of the Jamaica AIDS Support.
Kingston
4 Upper Musgrave Avenue
Kingston 10
978-2345
Ocho Rios
Dr. McDowell's Building
Pineapple Place
Ocho Rios
974-7236
Montego Bay
The Van Haze Building
1st Floor
16 East Street, Montego Bay
952-9817
Jalna Broderick is coordinator of Targeted Interventions at
the Montego Chapter of the Jamaica AIDS Support.
