The same positive news can be said of Kenya. According to reports, condom use had increased. In 2003 almost 24% (23. 9%) of Kenyans said they used a condom the last time they had casual sex, compared with 15% five years earlier in 1998(UNAIDS/WHO 2005). In view of the large impact of HIV/AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan countries, it can be stated that providing condoms is rather cheap and cost effective. However, even if condoms may be available there are still a number of social, cultural and practical factors that may prevent people from using them.
In reality one cannot just expect people to use condoms in all their sexual contact for the rest of their lives especially when there is no knowledge that they were infected. In the case of stable partnerships where pregnancy is desired, the use of condom will defeat that purpose. For women, it may be difficult for them to suddenly suggest condom use for their partners. In most cases, men had mainly dictated the disregard of the use of condom or the practice of unprotected sex.
It is because in many African countries, men dominate sexual relationships. In other words, women cannot always practice safe sex by imposing to their men some sexual precautions even when they know the risks involved. In most Sub-Saharan countries women did not enjoy a status of importance to the eyes of the men. At the time when AIDS first struck the country in 1982 it is traditional practice that men marry women through giving a dowry or bride wealth.
As result most men treat their wives as a “bought” possession that will cater to their sexual needs. They have the power to dictate sexual activity. Women were helpless to oppose their men since there was no law to protect them. In fact in Uganda, “non- consensual sex in families is taken as normal. It is a daily practice for husbands to rape wives since there are no laws making it a crime”. In fact if women in Uganda refused any sexual contact with their husbands (except during menstruation) it would mean automatic divorce.
Women therefore had no right to refuse a husband’s sexual advances as they are also perceived as a means to propagate his lineage . In such a situation, Sub-Saharan women cannot just tell their spouse that they use condoms. Most often than not, to suggest the use of condom is to perceived that a partner is being unfaithful. This would automatically result to an endured ego for the male (although in reality there are those who do engage in sexual activity outside marriage) and consequently his anger.
As a result, many female got infected with HIV virus and if they suspect that they do have one, the would prefer not to disclose it for fear that their husband would leave them or they will be chased out of the house. This is supported by a study that revealed 66. 3% male had admitted that they will divorce their wives if they got infected. That is why women would then not seek counseling and testing from health centers resulting to lack of awareness of the extent of the problem.
If they got pregnant, the disease is passed on to the child (Aina 12 ). And where mutual agreement for sex was present, couples still refuse to use condom because for them it hinder sexual spontaneity because a couple must interrupt sexual activity just to put on a condom before proceeding to vaginal entrance. In addition, some men feel that wearing a condom lessens their sensation (“Condom” 2006). Aside from that the reluctance of Sub-Saharan population to use condoms may be attributed to the myths or wrong perceptions about condom.
The most common belief is that condoms have holes that will allow the virus to pass through, or that it is not reliable and will leak, or that it will break up or slips off easily. However, it must be understood that condoms pass through stringent quality control especially those distributed by donor to Sub-Saharan countries and that the effectiveness in the use of condom also relies on the user. He must know how to open the package, put on the condom and the number of times to use it. In other words, he must strictly follow any given instructions.
For safety purposes condom must be used only once and he should buy those made of latex because they go through strict quality control. Other myths may be that condoms will cause bleeding, pain, cancer or infertility in men. These perceptions are not true although vigorous rubbing of the penis to a dry vagina may cause bleeding. Whatever are their concerns, people should educate themselves on condom use. And they, especially those infected with HIV, should always remember that consistent and correct use of condom remains the most effective means to avoid infection (UNFPA 2007 15-18).