Africa-Press – Eswatini. The month of February is meant to celebrate love the world over.
However, this year Eswatini saw a rise in brutality cases against women by their lovers.
Violence against women remains a huge challenge in the country. And while the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act is meant to deal with the scourge, the situation hasn’t improved to acceptable levels.
Gender-based violence affects men, women and key populations. It is a grave abuse of human rights, a risk factor for HIV infection, and a consequence of stigma and discrimination against people with HIV.
Violence against women and girls in particular constitutes a global health challenge of epidemic proportions, and is one of the most pervasive and extreme manifestations of gender inequality. Addressing violence and gender inequality is, therefore, essential to ending the AIDS epidemic and protecting the human rights of all people to safety, equality and the highest attainable standard of health.
Although Valentine’s day has passed, the month of February as love month is important in reminding couples about safe sex and condom use.
What is safer sex?
‘Safer Sex’ is a way of having sex in a way that decreases the risk of infection or pregnancy. The only way to be 100 per cent protected from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and pregnancy is to abstain. Abstinence means not having sex at all (this includes vaginal, anal and oral sex).
Are condoms effective?
Condoms are very good at preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections when they are used correctly and every single time a person has sex.
However, condoms are not effective at preventing pregnancy or infection when they are not used consistently or correctly (for example, only using condoms before ejaculation, only using condoms with certain partners, only using condoms sometimes).
Tips for condom use:
n Only use one condom at a time. Using two condoms is not safer and actually makes it more likely that the condom will break.
n Use a new condom every time for oral, anal or vaginal sex. Re-using a condom is not safe.
n If using a condom makes sex feel ‘dry’ make sure to use a water-based lubricant. When there is too much friction, the condom is more likely to break.
What if a condom breaks or falls off?
If the condom fails, there are two things to think about:
1. Pregnancy: Women can get pregnant no matter where they are in their menstrual cycle (even if they are on their period), so if the condom breaks or falls off, emergency contraception is recommended.
The emergency contraceptive works best when used right away but it can be used up to two days after unprotected sex. Consider buying a morning after pill ahead of time if you are relying on condoms for birth control.
2. Infection: Talk to your health provider about what testing is indicated. If possible, both you and your partner should be tested for STIs and HIV.
How do I talk to my partner about using condoms?
Being able to communicate with your partner is an important part of having sex. Although it may seem embarrassing, it is even more embarrassing to deal with a sexually transmitted infection/disease or an unexpected pregnancy.
Here are a few facts that may help you talk to your partner about using condoms during sex:
n Sexually transmitted infections usually do not have symptoms (like a discharge, rash or ulcer). It is not possible to ‘tell’ if your partner has an STI.
n Sexually transmitted infections can happen to anyone, even someone who has only had one partner.
n Infections can spread through oral sex and anal sex, as well as vaginal sex.
n ‘Pulling out’ before ejaculation (also called ‘withdrawal’) does not protect against STIs; it also does not work very well at preventing pregnancy.
Here are some ideas on how to respond to your partner when you talk about condoms.
Other tips for use:
n Only use one condom at a time. Using two condoms is not safer and actually makes it more likely that the condom will break.
n Use a new condom every time for oral, anal or vaginal sex. Re-using a condom is not safe.
n If using a condom makes sex feel ‘dry’ make sure to use a water-based lubricant. When there is too much friction, the condom is more likely to break.
What if a condom breaks or falls off
If the condom fails, there are two things to think about:
1. Pregnancy: Women can get pregnant no matter where they are in their menstrual cycle (even if they are on their period), so if the condom breaks or falls off, emergency contraceptive is recommended. The morning after pill can be purchased by any aged man or woman and no ID is required. Emergency Contraception works best when used right away but it can be used up to 72 hours after unprotected sex.
2. Infection: Talk to your health provider about what testing is indicated. If possible, both you and your partner should be tested for STIs.
How do I talk to my partner about using condoms.
Being able to communicate with your partner is an important part of having sex. Although it may seem embarrassing, it is even more embarrassing to deal with a sexually transmitted infection or an unexpected pregnancy.
Here are a few facts that may help you talk to your partner about using condoms during sex:
n Sexually transmitted infections usually do not have symptoms (like a discharge, rash or ulcer). It is not possible to ‘tell’ if your partner has an STI.
n Sexually transmitted infections can happen to anyone, even someone who has only had one partner.
n Infections can spread through oral sex and anal sex, as well as vaginal sex.
n ‘Pulling out’ before ejaculation (also called ‘withdrawal’) does not protect against STIs; it also does not work very well at preventing pregnancy.
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