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Dr Stella Agbim
Condom’s Day is celebrated annually on the 13th of February just a day before valentine, making awareness about the use of condom crucial round the world.
Valentine’s Day has also come to stay as an annual festival that is celebrated globally with romantic fanfare. Though there are varied historical accounts about its origin, every 14 February, people cerebrate the day in different ways with family, friends and partners.
According to Dr Stella Agbim, these occasions though significant in the lives of people globally brings a lot of cause to worry about as the expression of love, especially among adolescents, youths and other diverse populations most often fall out of context.
“We must not forget that the youths are young, powerful and taking over, thus must be encouraged to stick to the right and safe behavior and practices”.
This period is observed to witness high rate of indiscriminate sexual activities and other amoral behaviors that lead to uninformed decisions among many. This development most often than not, exposes many people to high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases that’s why the use of condoms are key at this season of love.
According to UNICEF data, the age of sexual debut in Nigeria begins at less than 15 years for 15% of Nigeria’s youth. This, coupled with the practice of having multiple sexual partners increases HIV vulnerability among the youth population alongside the very low HIV testing rates – only 17% of young people know their HIV status (UNAIDS Data Book).
Whereas Nigeria accounts for almost half of all new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa every year according to UNAIDS”.
Condoms are highly effective against the most dangerous of sexually transmitted infections—HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. They are also effective against unintended pregnancy as well as against gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis, etc. Condoms use is also associated with a lower rate of cervical cancer, an HPV-associated disease.
While the condom is touted to have a 98% success rate, in real life the efficacy is much lower. This is because people do not use the condom properly, often damaging it during use and rendering it useless. Of course, it is also necessary to ensure that the condom being used is not past its expiry date.
However, the last couple of years have seen ultra-conservative, far-right ideologies attacking condoms and their effectiveness, while at the same time making the outrageous claim that providing young people with information about condoms leads them to have sex.
Numerous studies have shown that providing young people with information about condoms does not lead to increased sexual activity. This is a fact. Abstinence is the only way to guarantee staying 100 percent safe. Yet, condoms are by far the best protection for anyone who is sexually active.
More than 70 percent of school-based health centers in America are prohibited from providing condoms to sexually active students, consequently, each day more than 25,000 American youth get an STI, more than 2,000 become pregnant, and as many as 55 contract HIV, such policies defy common sense and sound public health practice, therefore, Nigeria must learn from this.
Clearly, it is time to get over any “condom phobia” and promote the health benefits of this effective and inexpensive medical device. Condoms are very affordable and convenient. You don’t need a prescription or ID to buy them, and they’re inexpensive (or sometimes even free). Condoms are a small, discreet, and portable way to get big protection from pregnancy and STDs.
Condoms can be sexy. Protection is important, but so is pleasure. Luckily, condoms offer both. Condoms come in lots of different styles, shapes, and textures that increase sensation for both partners. You can use condoms for oral, anal, and vaginal sex, so they protect you from STDs no matter how you get down. And that’s really the sexiest part of all: condoms let you focus on pleasure and your partner without worrying about pregnancy or STDs.
Safer sex is better sex because it stops stress from killing the mood. Nigerians especially youths and the sexually active should express love within the contest of caring deeply for their loved ones with intention to protect them from all forms of harm and avoiding risk factors that will make them vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, STDs and unwanted pregnancies.
We must collectively endeavor to desist from practices that might expose us to risks of contracting HIV/AIDS and/or other sexually transmitted diseases as we commemorate these special Days. Nigeria stands to benefit from the pool of our contributions as citizens of this great nation, a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. Condomize, don’t compromise!
