Teenagers seeking condoms at family planning services. Part I. A user's perspective
Abdool Karim, Q.; Preston-Whyte, E.; Abdool Karim, S.S.
South African Medical Journal 82(5): 356-359
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 1448720 Document Number: 325638
The promotion of condom use is an essential part of any AIDS prevention programme. By distributing condoms and promoting their use, clinics that provide family planning services can play an important role in preventing the spread of AIDS. This study assesses the accessibility of condoms to teenagers at selected family planning services in Durban, South Africa. Twelve randomly selected clinics in Durban were visited by each of 4 teenage field workers. During these visits, the fieldworkers' experience were recorded in detailed notes which were subsequently analysed for content. The field-workers experienced difficulty in locating a few of the clinics and some were embarrassed by security staff. The two female fieldworkers, in particular, were intimidated by their reception at the clinics and found resistance to their requests for condoms. On two occasions, supplies of condoms had run out. When condoms werfe available, they were distributed in a setting that lacked privacy. Information on how to use condoms, if offered at all, was supplied by way of pamphlets and information on AIDS was rarely offered. Overall, the experience of the fieldworkers indicated that it was difficult for teenagers to obtain condoms from clinics providing family planning services in Durban. It is recommended that there be signs indicating the location of the clinics, and that privacy be ensured and adequate stocks of condoms maintained. Most importantly, clinic staff need to use every opportunity to discuss AIDS prevention with teenagers attending the clinic.