Inconsistent use of condoms among youth poses threat to HIV fight

The National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NACP) has stated that inconsistent use of condoms among young people poses a threat to Ghana achieving the global goal to eliminate HIV and AIDS by 2030.

It explained that data had shown that condom use among young people tends to be higher during first sexual encounters but declines in steady or trusted relationships.

It said many adolescents also associate condom use with casual sex, but not with long-term partners, and this is where risk increases.

The Programme Manager of the NACP, Dr Emmanuel Akwoulo Agyigewe Teviu, who disclosed this in an interview, said only about 11 per cent of young people between ages 15 to 19 years, who engage in premarital sex, use condoms.

Quoting the figure from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, he said that the alarmingly low rate of consistent condom use has remained relatively stable over the past decades.

“Usage for us means that you should use it consistently and properly, not just once. Some of the youth, what they do is that they use it maybe with one partner, but with another partner, they don't use it.

Usually, you will find it being used maybe when they meet for the first time but then you see that subsequently, as the relationship continues, some form of trust is built and the inconsistency of use is there,” he explained.

He was speaking in relation to the recently celebrated International Condom Day that was observed on February 13 and Valentine’s Day, which was observed on February 14.

International Condom Day seeks to promote the use of condoms as a means of preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Observed a day before Valentine’s Day, the day reminds people to practice safety when being intimate with their partners.

Valentine’s Day, on the other hand, is  associated with an occasion when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts.

Consistency

Dr Teviu said awareness of condoms as a preventive tool was high among young people, adding that the country had made progress in knowledge and availability; however, behavioural consistency remained an area requiring sustained effort.

Dr Teviu mentioned the barriers contributing to inconsistent use of condoms among young people to include embarrassment or perceived stigma when purchasing condoms; perceived reduction in pleasure in condom use; partner refusal, the belief that trust eliminates risk and social stigma around young people accessing sexual health services.

Throwing light on the barriers, he said, among adolescents, especially, confidence and negotiation skills were still developing; as a result, many know what to do but struggle to insist on protection.

On the dangers the inconsistent use of condoms poses, Dr Teviu said condoms protect people from STIs, including HIV and unwanted pregnancies, explaining that their inconsistent use affects preventive measures, thereby exposing them to the virus if the other partner has it.

He said the NACP was working on bridging the gaps through leveraging social media campaigns to reach the youth with messages on the consistent use of condoms; partnering some social media influencers to send messages across and developing video messaging content that would give people the opportunity to listen to and also create some interactive platforms where young people could ask questions and get answers on those platforms.

Dr Teviu refuted the assertion that access to condoms was a challenge in the country, explaining that all over the country, including villages at various outlets, one could access condoms.

He added that together with the Family Health Division, the Ghana Health Service also provided condoms to health facilities throughout the country to be accessible to people.

“Sometimes we may have some supply chain challenges in terms of the time of arrival and distribution of these condoms to the facilities, but it's not a major problem that we are too worried about,” he explained.

He encouraged young people who did not have the wherewithal to purchase condoms to visit youth-friendly health facilities spread across the country, where they would receive targeted services for adolescents.