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| Blue Gold condoms |
Leslie Karumbidza
Masvingo – The Blue Gold condom which replaced the Panther condom popularly known as ‘Madembare’ has been received well in Masvingo.
The Madembare condom were phased out last year following numerous calls by different organizations especially sex worker groups who were saying their clients were despising it.
The new brand was launched and started distribution last year in November and has now been distributed to all the corners of the province.
Speaking to TellZim News, Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) Provincial Marketing and Communications Officer Herbert Chikosi said the reception of the new condom is satisfactory.
“Statistically volumes are up and through interaction with the sex workers they have indicated that they want the new product.
They are happy with the vanilla scent on the new condom which they say is appealing just like the other brands that are sold in shops unlike the panther,” said Chikosi.
Chikosi said the condom is now accessible in all areas of the province and a very few areas still have the panther which is slowly disappearing.
He went on to say the youths and other members of the society have also embraced the new brand and have since nicknamed it the ‘bonde radirwa sugar’ condom.
The Madembare condom became unpopular among the public and was often criticized by sex workers as unappealing and not to have the comfort accorded by other condom brands as they had no lubricants.
However, gender champions have complained that only male condoms are being distributed first at the expense of the female ones.
Centre for Gender and Community Development in Zimbabwe (CDCGZ) programs manager Chidaushe Mudadi said women should be given an equal choice as men in terms of sexual issues since they are prone to abuse if they do not have their own condoms.
“While we appreciate the rebranding and the availability of the new condom, female condoms should be made available the same way male condoms are. Women are often left without a choice and this result in some being abused. So we call for the responsible authority to make sure that they make female condoms available so that women have a choice,” said Mudadi
