Condoms Use In Nigeria: The Sad Truth

According to statistics, 8 out of 10 men in Nigeria prefer not to wear a condom due to different reasons. As for the women, they also often don’t like to use it. The situation with a women condoms is even worse, despite the fact that it is a good protection from sexually transmitted diseases and a major contraceptive without side effects.

Female condom demonstration in Nigeria

The majority of Nigerian women don’t use female condoms for a different reasons:
– Rather high price, comparing to a male condom. Average female condom costs nearly N1,000.
– Unusual feelings and some problems with its use.
– Lack of information and of condoms itself. It is rather hard to get them. Usually they are given by some international organizations or available in special centres or hospitals.
But the sad thing is that the ladies don’t insist their men wear condoms as well.
Men prefer not to use condoms because:
– “I am healthy, I don’t have infections!”
– It feels better without it.

– The guy thinks he knows what to do if he is not wearing it.
The highest rate of wearing condoms is in big cities, like Lagos and Abuja.
But the important thing Nigerians should understand is that female and male condoms can save lives if they are correctly used.
Despite unwanted pregnancy prevention and reducing child mortality and maternal mortality (currently, there are 576 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and 128 under-five deaths per 1,000 live births), they have one more important function. They provide protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STD), including HIV. Nigeria remains the second country with highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world! The country that is on the first place is South Africa.
It is worthy to note that in the beginning of the 2014, the Managing Director of Society for Family Health Bright Ekweremadu revealed that over 1.8billion sexual activities occur in Nigeria yearly and only 20% of them are protected.