Acceptance
Acceptability of the female condom among street based commercial sex workers (csw) in Colombo
Female condom: well received among commercial sex workers in Sri Lanka
Authors:
; Community Development Services (CDS)
Publisher:
Female Health Company, 2002
This study, produced by the Community Development Service, examines the acceptability of the female condom among commercial sex workers (CSWs) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The study was based on the experience of 40 peer educators over four weeks. Over 90 per cent of the participants claimed to like the female condom and 70 percent preferred it to the male condom. The most liked features were that the device made sex more enjoyable, protected against sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy and was under a woman’s control. The least liked features were that it was too large for easy insertion, messy to handle and reduced sensation.
The authors argue that greater access to female-initiated barrier methods like the female condom is needed among CSWs. They stress the need for women-controlled methods of protection for women who lack the skills or options for negotiating safer sex practices. Moreover, successful use of female condoms will depend on a whole package of care, including positive promotion and publicity, support from health care workers and the involvement of both men and women as users of the method. Finally, the authors call for acceptability studies among CSWs to provide important information for positioning the product in the local market.
