PACE, a local non-governmental organisation has introduced four new condom variants onto the Ugandan market with the aim of increasing consistent use of condoms amongst the sexually active demographic in Uganda. The new variants: TRUST Ribbed, TRUST Scented, TRUST Studded and TRUST Classic, will be replacing the original TRUST Condom which is being phased out of the Ugandan market.
At a launch held at Sky Lounge on Tuesday evening, PACE’s Executive Director, Mr. Zaach Akinyemi said that PACE needed a condom that would appeal to urban males, which is their key target audience.
“Through extensive research, we realized that we needed a condom that would appeal better to the target audience; urban men. A condom that protects them while enhancing their sexual experience and personality,” explained Akinyemi. “We learnt that our target audience is a trendy person who would love to carry the trendiness to sex but is unable to due to the high cost of such condoms. In some cases they simply drop the ball during sex preferring to only use free condoms when they are available or none at all. At the same time some find condoms completely not pleasurable and don’t use them altogether.”
Uganda has an HIV adult prevalence rate of 7.2% with 140,000 new infections every year. In addition 25% of women who die due to pregnancy do so due to abortion. On the contrary condom use is low at only 60% and 50% among sexually active non-married men and women respectively while even lower at 55% and 30% of men and women with casual partners respectively. This is as reported in the Uganda Demographic Health Study of 2011. Introducing the condom is part of PACE’s contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS as well as death and disability due to abortion.
“PACE has been socially marketing condoms since 2006 where we make them affordable so that everyone can access the protection method,” said Akinyemi.
“When used consistently and correctly, condoms can reduce the risk of pregnancy and many sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV by about 80-90%. We believe that if all people use condoms consistently and correctly, we will be able to bring down the number of new infections to zero as well as significantly reduce the likelihood of risky abortions.” Akinyemi added.
“We hope that our new variants add excitement and pleasure to being safe, a combination we like to call, ‘Trust Colour Your Pleasure, Tosuula Step‘. Tosuula Step in English means don’t drop the ball,” he said.
The New TRUST Condoms will be sold on the market at an affordable average recommended retail price (RRP) of 2,000 UGX per pack ranging from UGX1, 500 to 2000. The condoms will be distributed in drug shops, pharmacies and retail outlets countrywide with a major focus on the high risk densely populated urban areas.