The female condom in Zimbabwe: The interplay of research, advocacy, and government action

During the past decade, a significant increase in reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe prompted the government, local organizations, and international donors to intensify prevention efforts. As part of this response, in November 1996 Zimbabwe’s National AIDS Coordinating Programme invited Population Services International to launch a social marketing program to promote the female condom, making this protective device widely available for the first time in Africa. After an acceptability study showed that Zimbabwean men and women liked using the female condom, leaders of these organizations encouraged public discussion and media attention, which helped pave the way to approval and introduction of the device. This brief presents the findings of a case study conducted by Grace Osewe and sponsored by the Population Council’s HIV/AIDS operations research Horizons Project. The study reviewed the social and political factors that led to government approval and commercial introduction of the female condom in Zimbabwe