South Africa is seeking to rebrand its free condoms to appeal to young people after a new study showed rising HIV infections and flagging contraception use, the health department said on Thursday.
Condoms distributed by the government will come in a wider range of colours and flavours, as authorities seek to mend the damage done to their image when thousands of faulty condoms were recalled in January 2012.
"We want to refresh the way we provide condoms to make sure that the packaging is able to attract the attention of young people," said health department spokesman Joe Maila.
The rebranding effort comes as new figures released on Tuesday showed there were 470,000 new HIV infections in 2012, compared with 370,000 the year before.
A drop in the use of condoms is seen as one reason for the increased infection rate.
A government-funded survey of 38,000 people showed that "condom use has started slowing down,"
In 2012, 36 percent of South Africans reported having used condoms during sexual intercourse, compared to 45 percent in 2008.
South Africa has the world's highest number of people living with HIV, a crisis that has seen millions of people placed on a vast state-sponsored treatment programme.
Around 6.4 million people—12.2 percent of the population—were living with HIV or AIDS in 2012.
That is up from 10.6 percent in 2008, when the previous survey was conducted, which partly reflects better treatment.
The survey noted fewer AIDS-related deaths and less frequent transmission of the virus by pregnant mothers to their unborn children, in great part thanks to successful antiretroviral treatment.
© 2014 AFP
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South Africa is seeking to rebrand its free condoms to appeal to young people after a new study showed rising HIV infections and flagging contraception use, the health department said on Thursday.
Condoms distributed by the government will come in a wider range of colours and flavours, as authorities seek to mend the damage done to their image when thousands of faulty condoms were recalled in January 2012.
"We want to refresh the way we provide condoms to make sure that the packaging is able to attract the attention of young people," said health department spokesman Joe Maila.
The rebranding effort comes as new figures released on Tuesday showed there were 470,000 new HIV infections in 2012, compared with 370,000 the year before.
A drop in the use of condoms is seen as one reason for the increased infection rate.
A government-funded survey of 38,000 people showed that "condom use has started slowing down,"
In 2012, 36 percent of South Africans reported having used condoms during sexual intercourse, compared to 45 percent in 2008.
South Africa has the world's highest number of people living with HIV, a crisis that has seen millions of people placed on a vast state-sponsored treatment programme.
Around 6.4 million people—12.2 percent of the population—were living with HIV or AIDS in 2012.
That is up from 10.6 percent in 2008, when the previous survey was conducted, which partly reflects better treatment.
The survey noted fewer AIDS-related deaths and less frequent transmission of the virus by pregnant mothers to their unborn children, in great part thanks to successful antiretroviral treatment.
© 2014 AFP
Medical Xpress on facebook
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AIDS infections down by a third in S.Africa: UNAIDS
New cases of HIV and AIDS fell sharply in South Africa since ten years ago, a testimony to successful treatment, according to a report by the UN Aids body released Friday.
S.African grannies rush for condoms for arthritis: report
The elderly in South Africa are discarding pills for boxes of condoms in the belief that the lubricant oil on the latex helps alleviate arthritis-related pain, a daily reported Friday.
UN finds mother-to-child HIV infections decreasing
The U.N. Children's Fund says it is alarmed about increasing HIV and AIDS rates among adolescents over the last seven years and is advocating an aggressive program that includes condom distribution and antiretroviral treatment.
South Africa recalls 1.35 million condoms
(AP) -- Some condoms burst. Others leaked like sieves. South Africa's leading anti-AIDS group said Tuesday that allegedly faulty condoms are among more than 1.35 million handed out at the African National ...
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Men with long-term HIV infections are at higher risk than uninfected men of developing plaque in their coronary arteries, regardless of their other risk factors for coronary artery disease, according to results of a study ...
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© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
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