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Loveness Bepete Chronicle Reporter
FEMALE condom uptake in the country remains a challenge as only 0, 2 percent of married people were using femidom as a contraceptive method compared to 3,3 percent who use the male condom, a survey carried out by Zimbabwe Statistics Agency has revealed.

The survey also revealed that there was no single man in the country who was sterilised.

Bulawayo Metropolitan Province has the highest male and female condom uptake among couples and none of the people used periodic abstinence.

Male condom uptake in the city stands at 5,7 percent while the female condom stands at 0,5 percent.

“The use of contraception was reported by 67 percent of married women or in a union of whom 66, 5 percent used any modern methods. The most commonly used method was the pill at 43,9 percent, followed by injectables at 9 percent. Eight percent of married women were using implants while 3,3 percent were using the male condom and 0,2 percent were using the femidom,” the survey read.

The study also revealed that 33 percent of married couples were not using any form of contraception and 0, 3 percent of married people used the withdrawal method.

Men don’t like to be sterilised, the survey said, while a few women opted for sterilisation as a birth control method.

“Only 0,9 percent of women were sterilised compared to zero percent for men. Nine percent of women used injectables, 8,4 percent used implants, 66,5 percent used any modern method and 0,5 used traditional method,” according to Zimstat.

Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council communications and marketing manager Simon Chikwizo said the use of condoms by married people prevented them from contracting sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.

“Condoms are preferred by some couples because of their dual protection. They act as contraceptives while at the same time they protect both partners from any sexual related diseases or infection,” Chikwizo said.

He said other people used condoms after they reacted to other methods of contraceptives.

“Contraceptives have got hormonal effects and some women gain weight. Others lose weight and some even bleed continuously and so they would rather use condoms.

“The problem is that women shun femidom. Pregnancy affects women and it is shocking that men decide whether or not to use the male condom in a relationship. Unwanted pregnancies sometimes are also a result of women’s attitude towards the femidom. When a man refuses to condomise they are left stuck rather than just to put on their femidom,” Chikwizo said.

In January women activists attributed low femidom uptake on gender stereotypes.

The latest developments comes after the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council revealed that for every 40 male condoms used only one femidom was used.