500,000 female condoms to fight HIV.

In our nation’s capital, D.C. officials are taking an unorthodox yet necessary step towards preventing the spread of HIV.  Here, the HIV infection rate is 6 times higher than the national average which demonstrates the urgency for a new approach in preventative measures.  D.C. officials will be handing out 500,000 female condoms in community centers and salons around the city and giving demonstrations on how to use the relatively unknown device. In D.C., 30% of those infected with the virus are women.  Through the use of the female condom, officials hope that these women will learn how to protect themselves.  The female condom tends to be more expensive which explains its minimal popularity and obscurity in comparison to the ultra common male condom. New versions of the female condom, such as FC2, are significantly less expensive than its predecessors.

It is refreshing to see such a proactive measure geared entirely at the health of women taken by our capital. Through the distribution of female condoms, women in D.C. will have a choice when a man decides a condom is unnecessary. By taking control of their sex life, women are taking control of their health.  HIV is a virus that can be easily preventable through the use of condoms, both male & female.  It’s a matter of life and death so why take the chance?  [via CNN]