by Kimberley Whipkey

Just weeks before World AIDS Day, the World Health Organization confirmed that HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age globally.  Not surprisingly, unsafe sex is a major accomplice in this picture.  So are factors like violence that can lead to a range of health problems for women, including HIV and STIs.  This nexus of HIV, women, unsafe sex, and violence makes me question: what can we do to put the power of prevention in women’s hands?

One answer is the female condom.   Currently, it is the only existing prevention method designed for women to initiate that protects against HIV, STIs and unintended pregnancy.  Earlier this year, the U.S. FDA approved the FC2 female condom, which will allow U.S.-funded programs to procure and distribute the new product and support programming for its use.  The FC2 can be inserted up to eight hours before intercourse, used with oil and water-based lubricants, and used by people with latex allergies.  Some women and men report increased pleasure with the female condom.

Despite its many advantages, the female condom is not a silver bullet.  Not every woman likes them and not all women are in positions to negotiate their use, especially those in abusive relationships.  But it does give women a modicum of control—even those facing situations of violence—and an important method that they can use to negotiate with partners.

For instance, women in the Democratic Republic of Congo report wearing female condoms while they walk around in their communities where rape is tragically common.  While there is little they can do to protect themselves against rape, they can at least do something to prevent forcible impregnation and infection.  Situations of domestic violence, furthermore, also fuel women’s requests for female condoms.  When CHANGE conducted a female condom advocacy training in Uganda, we worked with organizations like the Center for Domestic Violence Prevention that promote the female condom as a negotiation tool for married women whose husbands may resist use of the male condom.

While it’s crucial to advocate for microbicides and other means of female-controlled prevention not yet available to women, we must not neglect the critical role of female condoms.  This year for 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, we urge you to become part of a global movement to expand access to female condoms through CHANGE’s Prevention Now! campaign at www.preventnionnow.net.  Together, we can help increase opportunities for women to take charge of their own protection. 

Kimberly Whipkey is a Senior Associate for Advocacy and Outreach at the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE).  CHANGE is a member of the international coalition of the Women WON'T wait. End HIV and Violence Against Women. NOW. Campaign.  To learn more about CHANGE go to: www.genderhealth.org.
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Watch out for our daily blogs during the 16 days of Activism:

25 Nov - Intensify efforts in ending all forms of violence against women and girls (Shamillah Wilson, South Africa)
26 - Are All Defenders Equal? (Cynthia Rothschild, New York, USA)
27 - Give me back my movement! (Everjoice J. Win, Zimbabwe)
28 - An essential package of services to deal with two interlinked human rights and rights crises. (Neelanjana Mukhia, India)
29th - Questions of accountability and violence against women and girl and HIV&AIDS. (Shamillah Wilson, South Africa)
30th - Female Condoms: Now More Than Ever. (Kimberley Whipkey, USA)
1st Dec - Violence of Judgementalism (Meena Saraswathi Seshu, India)
2nd - Violence Against Women, Disasters and Climate Change (Jacqui Patterson, USA)
3rd - Silenced Links: Violence and HIV in Women. A current look at Latin America and the Caribbean. (Mabel Bianco, Argentina)
4th - Sexist Violence. Some Data to take into consideration. (Nirvana Gonzalez Rosa, Puerto Rico/Chile)
5th - Sex Workers. Sex Worker Rights. (Aziza Ahmed, USA)
Rights Not Rescue. Experiences of Sex Workers in Southern Africa. (Vicci Tallis, South Africa)
6th - Criminalisation of HIV and concerns for violence against women. (Norah Matovu Winyi, Kenya)
7th - Issues of violence against lesbian women and lesbian, bi- and transsexual women. (Vicci Tallis, South Africa)
8th - Violence against women in conflict situations. (Mary Wandia - Kenya and Neelanjana Mukhia - India)
9th - Today the enemy is homosexual. Tomorrow it could be you. (Christine Butegwa, Uganda)
10th - Our work isnt done - response to VAW as a consequence of HIV (Neelanjana Mukhia, India)
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The Women WON'T wait. End HIV and Violence Against Women. NOW. Campaign is an international coalition of organizations and networks working to promote women's health and human rights in the struggle to address HIV and AIDS and end all forms of violence against women and girls.

Members of the campaign are: Action Aid; African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET); Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID); Akina Mama wa Afrika; Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL); Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE); Fundación para Estudio e Investigación de la Mujer (FEIM); GESTOS-Soropositividade, Comunicação & Gênero; International Community of Women Living with HIV&AIDS Southern Africa (ICW-Southern Africa); International Women’s AIDS Caucus; International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC); Latin American and Caribbean Women’s Health Network; Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA); Program on International Health and Human Rights, Harvard School of Public Health; SANGRAM; VAMP; and Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA).

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