Whilst we're gearing up to celebrate Valentine's Day, it is very important to note the day before, International Condom Day (13 February), a day where the general public is reminded of the importance of using a condom when engaging in sexual behaviour, the correct way to use a condom and the benefits of using a condom.
In South Africa, through a recently launched campaign it was noted that youth between the ages of 18 - 24 years old admitted to having unprotected sex occasionally and that condoms were seen as 'uncool' and would limit the sexual sensations of intercourse. Furthermore, AHF last year engaged in open discussion research with the youth of various communities and were shocked by the sources of information that many youth used to learn about sex and condom usage, a lot of youth would learn about sex and new sex positions through porn sites such as PornHub, or get information on sex from friends, which 80% of the time would be inaccurate.
Furthermore in many of the youth would justify their non-usage of condoms by saying that porn stars do not use condoms, so they did not see why they would have to use them too. Of those who did use condoms, what was shocking was some of the methods they used to keep the condom lubricated during sex, some admitted to using spit whilst others would admit to using Vaseline, Baby Oil, Cooking Oil etc.
To spread awareness around ICD and condom usage, especially with Valentine’s Day coming, AHF will also be hosting several activations and events around South Africa, distributing condoms, educating the public on proper condom usage and conducting HIV/AIDS testing, on Tuesday, 13 February at Fort Hare University in the Eastern Cape, Diepsloot in Gauteng and Umlazi’s Mega City in KwaZulu-Natal.
